<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>31 Day Horror House 2020 by Anonymous</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26867521">31 Day Horror House 2020</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bogleech, Bogleech's 31 Day Horror House</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(not 2020 related just written this year), 2020, Ambiguous Gender Reader, Comedy, Cyborgs, Gen, Halloween, Halloween Challenge, Haunted House, Horror, Monsters, Multiple Background Pairings, Nonbinary Character, Queer Character, Shadow people, Spooky, Trans Character, gender neutral reader, living dolls, trans author</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:49:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,562</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26867521</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A written response to Bogleech's 31 Day Horror House Challenge. Your car breaks down and you are chased to a spooky house in the woods, a different monster appearing in each chapter.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. a wild, feral monster that stalks the surrounding woods</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>These are also posted to my tumblr, starting <a href="https://readingalcove.tumblr.com/post/631212134393675776/31-day-horror-house-day-1">here.</a></p><p>This challenge, which was intended for visual art, can be found <a href="https://bogleech.tumblr.com/post/631088457987604480/okay-my-idea-for-a-halloween-drawing-challenge-31">here.</a> It was made by <a href="https://bogleech.com/">Bogleech.</a></p><p> </p><p>I love reviews, and I will still love them if they're posted long past halloween or even 2020.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Oh fucking hell," you muttered, slamming the car door behind you.</p><p>You weren't sure what you had hit, but it was big, and some sort of fumes were pouring out of your crumpled hood. The only mercy was that the deer or whatever hadn't come through the windshield, killing you or at least making it much more annoying to drive home in this rain. When you reached the front of the car you paused, unable to really make out the mess below your headlights, and turned on your phone's light.</p><p>It looked more like someone had dumped a potted plant out in front of you, though there was no sign of the pot itself, nor any wagons or anything that could have been used to so suddenly dump the mess of plant into the road. You kicked it, then jumped back.</p><p>The pile of leaves and crud had definitely moved.</p><p>Grimacing, you tutted your tongue and squatted down next to the mass. Maybe a dog or something was tangled up in there. For good measure, you whistled.</p><p>It wobbled a bit.</p><p>Seeing no other option, you grabbed a handful of the vines and tried to yank them away, but as you released, the plants snapped back into place.</p><p>You took a bigger handful in both hands, willing it to pull in half, and cursed when you felt tiny prickles scrape along your palms.</p><p>A few of the smaller stalks broke, and a bitter fragrance rose from the plants. </p><p>The bundle moved sharply.</p><p>Again you repositioned, grabbing it by some woody stems, ignoring the stinging of the pinpricks from the thorns, and tried, again, to rip them apart. </p><p>A handful of yellow flowers slid off in each hand, the puff of pollen making you sneeze.</p><p>The tangle lurched backward, and you leapt to your feet, muttering at it, trying to soothe whatever was inside it.</p><p>It grew, and as it grew, it rearranged, bits of plant bubbling out in some places and cinching tight in others, until the thing stood nearly as tall as you at the shoulder, a great maw full of thorns gaping at you in some mockery of panting, at least four plantish legs holding it off the ground. Its long tail of yellow and orange flowers whipped through the air.</p><p>Then it lunged, and you ran off the road and into the bushes, leaving your car to its mercy.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Re: character design, the feral plant beast is made up of invasive plants, in particular Himalayan Blackberry and Scotch Broom but there’re a few others in there.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. the gatekeeper of the weird old mansion you’ve found</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Of course, the plant-thing was not all that interested in your car; it was not only undistracted, but you could hear it scratching the paint as it pursued you. However, it was blessedly slow- for all its legs and how long they were, it didn't seem to pick them up very high as it chased you, so though it followed you, driving you steadily away from civilization, you had been able to get quite a lead.</p><p>That had been excellent, until you, rather quickly, began to grow tired, and the strange scraping sounds and rustles in the bushes grew closer and closer.</p><p>Forcing yourself into one last sprint, you burst through a wall of drooping branches, and found yourself before a gate. Behind it, two enormous black eyes stared at you, and it took you a moment to refocus on the creature manning the gates. His skin was slick, wetter than the rain could account for, and olive green mottled with dark patches.</p><p>"Hello, uh, sir? Please let me in."</p><p>He gazed at you over his short snout, obviously bored.</p><p>"Invitation?"</p><p>"No, sorry, but-" </p><p>You stopped. The crackling of branches grew louder.</p><p>"Look, if they don't want to see you, I can't let you in," he droned.</p><p>"There is a plant monster chasing me right now so can we please have this argument inside the gate?"</p><p>He gazed over your shoulder, and tilted his head, listening.</p><p>"Not again. Very well, just don't touch anything. And I don't suggest you mention this to the gardener, if he comes around."</p><p>With one of his stubby arms, he held one side of the gate out, just far enough for you to squeeze through. He closed it behind you, then let himself fall to all fours, watching through the wrought iron bars.</p><p>"Stand there, and don't touch anything," he repeated.</p><p>You watched, and though you were able to hold your place, you flinched hard when the weed beast emerged, whipping its tendrils at the gate.</p><p>The salamander narrowed its eyes, and just as the monster made contact, the gate, then the entire perimeter of the house flared, flames rising high above the already enormous fencing.</p><p>The creature hissed, or maybe it was just the sizzling of the vines it had thrown towards you.</p><p>Though its face was rather abstract, you could tell it was angry, but it backed off, and finally disappeared back into the woods.</p><p>The salamander did not lower the fires.</p><p>"It's pouring rain," you said. "How are you-"</p><p>"I am <i>very</i> good at my job. Go knock on the door, someone will deal with you."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>idk I really wanted to do a salamander, and not make it just fire seeing as real salamanders aren't. kind of regret doing fire gates because now it's like 'ooh symbolism gates of hell'</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. the butler/housekeeper who guides you around the house</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You approached the door, avoiding looking back, but when you moved to knock, it was pulled open from the inside.</p><p>Arching your neck backward to look up, you met the eyes of the enormous goat man standing before you, and he studied you back with his horizontal pupils. </p><p>A wide, uneven, white blaze ran from the base of his horns to just above his nose, and a rough beard hung from his chin, slightly obscuring the twin wattles hanging from his shaggy neck. He leaned out slightly, looming over you.</p><p>You felt yourself sweating.</p><p>"I don't believe the master is expecting guests," he said, looking down at you and moving to close the door.</p><p>"Wait wait wait!"</p><p>He paused.</p><p>"I hit something with my car, then I got chased here, and he-" you waved behind yourself- "said someone here could help me?"</p><p>Well, he hadn't exactly said that.</p><p>"Again," he said. "Fine, follow me, our handyman might be able to help you out."</p><p>His long, low slung ears twitched, and he turned abruptly, making you jog to keep up with his absurdly long strides.  The goatman's horns wrapped down, close to his skull, only twisting out at the tips, which was probably for the best as his head already nearly  grazed the ceiling of the hallway he led you through.</p><p>"Sorry," you said, trying hard to keep up and speak without panting. "But what should I call you, Mister...?"</p><p>"Rishel. And here we are." He opened a door into a courtyard. "She should be out here somewhere. <b>Peb!</b>" he yelled, making you jump. </p><p>He looked around, his soft fur rippling in the slight breeze.</p><p>"Oh, there's Nesch," he told you, as though you should know who or what Nesch was. "<b>Nesch!</b>" </p><p>You managed not to jump that time, despite the sheer volume Mister Rishel was capable of.</p><p>"I'm busy!" called a gruff voice from somewhere.</p><p>"So am I. Just make sure our guest here finds Peb."</p><p>"Ugh."</p><p>He turned back to you. "Nesch and Pebble will help you from here, I'm afraid I must go check in on dinner."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>He’s a boer goat. They can be very big and very loud and they are nice to pet.</p><p>Since there are three names here, I feel the need to mention that these (and all names that will occur in this story) are chosen based on randomizers or a cute word or just sounds I thought were cool. If it comes across like a reference to something, or is a swear word in another language, or something, I’m most likely fully unaware.</p><p>Shorter chapter but we’ll be seeing him again. Plus I need to do three more to catch up with today.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. the groundskeeper/gardener</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A young person- you were pretty sure this one was a person- came out from around a garden, shaking off a muddy pair of gloves.</p><p>"You're the guest? We don't get many of your kind around here."</p><p>"I hit something with my car, then it chased me here. I guess Rishel upgraded me to 'guest' when he let me come through the house."</p><p>"What sort of thing did you hit?" they asked, misting a few flowers.</p><p>"Some sort of plant thing?"</p><p>They turned their head around- a little too far around- to meet your eye.</p><p>"What kind of 'plant thing?'" they asked, unsmiling, and you remembered the gatekeeper's warning.</p><p>"Oh, uh, just a log down on the road I guess. Crumpled up the front end of the car."</p><p>"And the log chased you here?"</p><p>Your neck felt a little too hot, and you resisted the urge to tug at your collar like some nervous cartoon man.</p><p>"I meant, something that was in the log chased me here? A big- a really fucking big raccoon or something?"</p><p>"Ah, of course," they said. "Trees are always falling down on the roads out there, or so I hear."</p><p>They tapped their ear, as if perhaps they didn't expect you to know where the human hearing was, or maybe they were reminding themself, then laughed, and laughed, for a little too long.</p><p>You kept smiling until it stopped.</p><p>"So, should we be looking for Peb? Pebble?"</p><p>"She's around. So where do you work, stranger?"</p><p>You had only opened your mouth when they interrupted.</p><p>"Are you single?"</p><p>"Uh..."</p><p>They shook out their wispy red hair. "Hey, I'm not asking for me, I've got the cutest girl around... but it has been a long time since the master met anyone."</p><p>"No-! I mean, I'd have to meet this 'master' first. Anyway, about my car..."</p><p>Waving their hand at you, they rolled their eyes. "Look, it's been ages since anyone new showed up here. Let me show you all the different hellebores! Oh, and the mugwort, and the ragwort, and..."</p><p>Following along, you looked at each flower, the first bunch all greener or paler or, all the way across the spectrum, darker and deader than most flowers you'd seen before, then to a leafy herb with a few red flowers, a large section of what you recognized as kitchen herbs right next to another door to the house, then what looked like a variety of different daisies and dandelions, above which bloomed a group of large- still smaller than Mister Rishel- plants on thick stalks that had wide sprays of white flowers above your head.</p><p>"These are my favourites, the giant-"</p><p>"Hey Nesch!" interrupted a voice that sounded young, high, and yet also like the speaker had been smoking a few packs a day for quite a long time.</p><p>"Pebs!" they called back, running a few paces and bending over to lift a decently sized rock from the ground and spin it.</p><p>"Hey, Guest! This is my girlfriend Pebble!"</p><p>They set Pebble back down on the ground and she glanced between you and Nesch.</p><p>"A <b>guest?</b> You came a long way just to meet us."</p><p>"Well actually," you said, for what felt like far more than the fourth time, "I was chased here."</p><p>"Oh, how interesting," said Pebble, glancing upward at her paramour. "No time for the details, I'm afraid, I'd better get going-"</p><p>"Wait-" you called as she began to hurry away. "My car..."</p><p>Pebble spun, and rushed back up to you, faster than you would have accounted for on her short rock stacks of legs.</p><p>"You brought me a car!?" she gasped.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So Day 5 character (the handymonster they might assign to “fix” your car)  is a bit early, but hey they were excited to see each other.</p><p>What kind of beast was Nesch? You may never know, but they’re probably <i>not</i> human. They <i>are</i> nonbinary.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. the handymonster they might assign to “fix” your car</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pebble, though perhaps your oddest companion thus far, with her petite stature, beaded-looking arms and legs, and shiny little eyes, was very personable. She led you back to the front of the house through an entirely different door and hallway than Mister Rishel had taken, and though it was much quicker, you had to duck your head to avoid banging it on anything.</p><p>"So, you were chased here by Cujo?"</p><p>"What is Cujo? I was chased here by some sort of pile of weeds."</p><p>"That's Cujo; Nesch named him after my favourite literary character. He was a present; she grew him from all of our favourite seeds. He was so good back then."</p><p>Perhaps sensing your skepticism, she kept going.</p><p>"He was! He protected me from humans, back when I was going to town for supplies. Oh, no offense- you haven't tried to grab me, or kick me, or throw me through a window, or anything like that; you're one of the good ones."</p><p>"None taken. What happened then?"</p><p>"<b>Fucking</b> Doctor Sipos got his hands on him. He's not even a doctor! Like, he doesn't even have a PhD. Half of Cujo's design was to avoid Sipos- well, people like Sipos- but no, he just puts on these big thick gloves and starts dumping weird chemicals and fertilizers on him. Next thing we know, Cujo's the size of a horse, aggro, and Sipos has dumped him over the fence. He doesn't belong out there, who knows what he's seeding! Anyway, don't mention it to Nesch, they feel very guilty about the whole thing. Me, I miss him, but he's doing fine in the wild, so we'll deal with it when we deal with it."</p><p>It was really about time to get to your car, but then again, you wondered aloud, "what happened to Sipos?"</p><p>She laughed. "He can't come into the main house anymore, lest he try to tamper with any of the family pets. The head of the household can be particularly sensitive about her little fur ball. That, and Cujo got him good across the face. He can't go out in daylight anymore."</p><p>You glanced up at the sky. It was growing dark, and the fog was thickening.</p><p>"So, my car..."</p><p>"Your car!" she squealed. "Tell me everything."</p><p>She listened with rapt attention about every detail you knew, even inquiring after the colour of the seats, and, eventually, about the accident itself.</p><p>"So the hood's damaged. It just needs body work then, right? I love doing body work."</p><p>"I'm not really worried about that."</p><p>Her face fell.</p><p>"...But I wasn't able to put it in gear to reverse after hitting the thi- Cujo, and by now the battery will be dead."</p><p>"Oh, I'm great at batteries! So, where is it?"</p><p>You gestured out the gate, and the salamander glared at you. "I think it's straight ahead, but I mean, I was being chased through the bushes when I left it."</p><p>"Hm," said Pebble, taking you by the wrist. "It'll at least be until tomorrow then, since it will be dark out by the time I have it back. Come to the house, I'll have Rishel get a room ready, and Nesch and I will take the car to rescue yours."</p><p>"Thanks for the hospitality, but I was just going to sleep in the car..."</p><p>"Nonsense," she said, and her grip tightened. "We would love to have you for the night."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Some exposition. Even little Pebble is a little off.</p><p>I’ll finish catching up sometime tomorrow.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. the master of the household’s faithful pet</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pebbles pulled you into the foyer, spotted Mister Rishel, and abruptly handed you off to the goat man.</p><p>"You will be staying for dinner, I take it?" he asked, looking down his nose at you.</p><p>"I'll be staying the night, apparently. Pebble said you could get a room ready for me."</p><p>"Very well. Come, this way."</p><p>He opened a pair of french doors and something enormous plowed into you, knocking you to the floor.</p><p>Above you stood an enormous bird, its body covered in black fluff, and atop its long, dark blue neck, the same fleecy feathers crowned its head, obscuring its eyes. Its dragonlike claws stood on either side of you, and it tilted its head in various directions, making a stressed sounding crooning noise, trying to get a good look at you. Its ears were periwinkle blue.</p><p>"Letitia seems to like you," Rishel said airily. "You should get up, she gets confused when people are on the floor."</p><p>Mister Rishel didn't offer you a hand, instead opting to straighten his tux, so you had to scramble back a bit, roll sideways, and negotiate your own way back to your feet. Standing, you could make out a pair of twin curved staircases to an upper level, a lot of dark wood furniture, and a vast array of taxidermy.</p><p>"What is she, an ostrich?"</p><p>"An ostr-? Of course not! She's the master's prize showgirl."</p><p>You weren't sure you wanted to know what that meant.</p><p>"Just give her a pat and I'll show you to the dining room, you can wait there while I get your room ready. I'm afraid the guest room is taken, but we will find something suitable for you."</p><p>The skin of Letitia's neck looked soft, but also weird and delicate and wrinkly, so you opted instead to ruffle some of her poofy feathers.</p><p>"Good girl?" you told, or rather, asked her.</p><p>She tipped her head to the side again, then trotted off, up the left set of stairs.</p><p>Rishel took off toward the right stairway without warning you, taking it about three stairs at a time while you tried to keep up.</p><p>"So," you asked once you reached the top. "How does a goat man end up working in a place like this?"</p><p>Hopefully it would buy some time to rest your legs, you clarified: "I mean, clearly I'm an ignorant outsider, but I thought goat men were demons that haunted bridges and camp sites and stuff."</p><p>"It is how things worked out."</p><p>He started walking again, quicker than before, though thankfully speedwalking on the flat floor wasn't as rough on your knees.</p><p>You stopped in front of a large door.</p><p>"Wait in here."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>She's just a big (BIG) beautiful showgirl silkie</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. the head chef who makes you a “nice” dinner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The dining room was immaculate, with many places set, and an expanse of cutlery next to each plate. Nervous, you took one of the seats on the left long side of the table. </p><p>"I wouldn't sit there if I were you."</p><p>You stood up, nearly knocking the chair over. Next to you stood a large- though not as enormous as Mister Rishel- hairy, wolf-man, licking his chops.</p><p>"Oh, uh, why not?" you asked, inching back from his exposed fangs. </p><p>"It's the young master's seat, obviously. What are you, new here?"</p><p>You took a full step back.</p><p>"I'm a guest."</p><p>"A guest?" he asked, entire demeanor changing, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, ears perking forward. "We haven't had a guest in ages! Let me whip a snack up for you, dinner's gonna be a while. Don't you worry, I used to cook for humans all the time."</p><p>"Thank you," you said, though you were mostly thankful that he had turned around, heading to a side door that presumably led to the kitchen. "Where should I sit?"</p><p>"There, at the end." He pointed to the single chair at the end, far across from the head of the table. "It's like you've never been a guest before," he muttered, heading back to the kitchen.</p><p>You took your spot and waited, but within minutes, he was back, pouring a bulging can of sauce over what looked like a plate of noodles and mushrooms.</p><p>"Spaghetti à La Fantastique."</p><p>"Oh," you said. "Thank you."</p><p>He grinned, and for the split second that he closed his eyes, you touched the sauce, then dabbed your hand with the napkin on your lap. It was at least hot, so the can could be swollen from being cooked closed, pressurized, rather than because of any of the many bacteria you could think of swimming it.</p><p>The mushrooms still had an unfortunate greenish tint.</p><p>"It looks delicious, Chef...?"</p><p>"Forsyth Galley. And you are?"</p><p>You introduced yourself.</p><p>"Nice to meet you. I've got to get back on top of dinner."</p><p>There was a crash in the kitchen.</p><p>"Yeeaahhh," he said, looking over his shoulder at the door. "Enjoy!"</p><p>You sat there, staring at the plate. As well as the dish being pale, the sauce runny, and the mushrooms mouldy, the raw noodles poking out from the sauce were bowtie pasta. 'Spaghetti à La Fantastique' indeed.</p><p>Poking at it with your fork, you tried to somehow make it look as though you had eaten some, but no matter how you arranged it on the plate, it was obviously full.</p><p>Groaning, you covered your eyes. The monsters hadn't yet threatened you, and you really didn't want to die of food poisoning after getting this far. Once you got to bed, you could wake up in the morning and get back in the car.</p><p>That gave you a sense of purpose, and you felt almost as though you could try the food.</p><p>You looked down, and the plate was empty.</p><p>Something large skittered under the table.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>look, he’s trying. you have to give him some credit.</p><p>I’m caught up now so hopefully that means good things for future chapters.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. some kind of pest that infests the house</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Immediately you stood up, took three steps back, and looked under the table. Several enormous bugs snapped their claws at you, waving their glowing tails above their heads.</p><p>Forsyth popped his head through the door.</p><p>"Wow, you're a fast eater. I can whip up some more, if you like."</p><p>"Are those scorpions?"</p><p>"Huh?" He followed your gaze under the table. "Oh, those schnooks. No, they're more like crabs. At least, they taste more like crab. Stupid things are all over the place. Hey, do me a favour and catch four of five of 'em for me, would ya? They'd go great in this stew I'm making."</p><p>He must have seen your grimace, as he quickly added, "They're harmless, as long as you keep away from those tails. Oh, and the claws. If they get you in their claws they'll burn you with their tails anyway. Here, I'll get you some tongs."</p><p>So, on your knees, armed with a set of cooking tongs and a stock pot, you advanced on the crab-things, each one as big as a dinner plate.</p><p>The tongs were not long enough to grab the body and still avoid the tails, so you ended up grabbing them by the legs and tossing them into the pot. By the fourth one, you felt confident in your snatching abilities, so you went for the fifth and final one under the table, the one with the longest tail and thickest claws.</p><p>You lunged, and you slipped, missing its leg. Instead the tongs split, one over the back and one under the belly, the force of your fall delivering your arm directly into its claws.</p><p>The pinch hurt, but it wasn't so bad. What made you shout out was the feeling of the tail jabbing you in the arm, burning off the hair and sinking at least a quarter-inch deep, whilst self-cauterizing the wound.</p><p>Scrambling backwards, you flailed your arm, trying to toss the thing, no longer caring about whether it landed in the cooking pot. It continued to burn your arm.</p><p>"What are you doing?" shouted Galley.</p><p>You stared at each other for a minute. Your eyes watered. He walked back into the kitchen.</p><p>"Help?!" you called after him.</p><p>Galley came straight back out holding a lid and, before you could so much as flinch, whacked the bug with it, then, barehanded, tossed the stunned thing into the pot with the others.</p><p>"You were supposed to use the tongs, not go for it barehanded."</p><p>"Gee, thanks."</p><p>He looked at your arm, then grabbed it roughly with his clawed hands to get a better look at it.</p><p>"There's some aloe in the solarium. Nesch, the gardener, should be able to help you with it."</p><p>"I met them, but I think they're helping Pebble get my car."</p><p>"Ugh," he said, rolling his eyes. "It's four doors down, do you know what the plant looks like?"</p><p>You nodded.</p><p>"Good, go get it. Bring some back for the kitchen, I'm always burning myself through this damned fur."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The schnook thing is from a joke with my brother when we were young and playing a game based off some TERF’s book. I couldn’t remember what the monsters in it were called so I started calling them ‘blast bottomed schnooks’ (we read a lot of old MAD digests, pretty sure that’s where I picked up the word). I wanted to do crabbish creatures (part because it reminds me of The Austere Academy) and the name rushed back into my head.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. something dangerous lurking in the gardens</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It wasn't hard to find the solarium, but as you crossed the threshold, you realized that finding the aloe would be no easy task. The room was enormous, the ceilings high and arched, and through the dim lighting you could see that the plants went on beyond your range of vision.</p><p>It was also incredibly, oppressively, hot.</p><p>You took a pair of shears off a table next to the entrance, and squinted, before remembering your phone. Zero bars, but the battery was fine. Using the flashlight, you surveyed your surroundings. Up the right side of the solarium were leafy green plants, vines, and some deep red flowers, and up the left were more flowers, ranging from black to purple, potted bushes and, you were pretty sure, at least a couple cacti. You headed that way.</p><p>There was a large section of cacti shortly behind the many dark flowers, but no aloe vera. There were a few succulents that reminded you of it, with long, thick, triangular leaves; they could have been relatives, but they weren't close enough that you felt safe testing them out.</p><p>As you walked, you became vaguely aware of something watching you, but each time you felt something, or heard something, no matter how quickly you spun around to look for it, you couldn't spot it. The feeling was worst near a large fountain. You avoided it, keeping your shoulder to the opposite wall, and heard some ominous splashing as you passed it. </p><p>Eventually, you found yourself facing out the glass windows over the grounds, though you couldn't make out much beyond the fire of the fence, now much lower, the dark trees, and the full moon, still low in the sky.</p><p>You cursed under your breath, then turned and took the opposite path back, and in short time found the aloe, slightly separated from an assortment of herbs. You saw labels for chamomile, valerian, vervain, too many kinds of mint, echinacea, and garlic, and there were far more that had grown over their markers. The worst thing  about the aloe being where it was, so far from the majority of the succulents, was that the placement still made sense.</p><p>Cutting three leaves from close to the base of the allow, you again realized you were being watched. You turned slowly, aloe in hand.</p><p>Peeking out from the base of a flower was what looked like a very large, squishy, vividly blue frog, about the size of a watermelon. It had a few white stripes down its sides.</p><p>It croaked at you.</p><p>"Well, what the heck are you?" you asked, crooning at it. You weren't about to pet something that was such a bright, poisonous blue, but it was certainly cute enough to. It could also be an effective pillow. "I guess if the bugs are as big as they are, you've got to be at least this big."</p><p>It croaked again, and hopped toward you, forcing you to scramble backward. From behind it came about four more round, soft, body segments, each with two long rear legs and webbed feet. On its back end was some sort of long, curved stinger.</p><p>"Uh," you said, backing away.</p><p>Then it gave chase.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We’ve already been to some of the gardens, so here’s something different.</p><p>The frog-thing is largely inspired by feeder hornworms.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. something dangerous lurking in the pond, pool or fountain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For something that hopped so awkwardly, each segment barely keeping up with the last, the blue thing was fast. You stopped looking back, because you knew it would be behind you, and each time you looked back, it caught up some more.</p><p>You raced along the green corridor, occasionally ripping through tangles of vine or shoving pine branches out of the way, hoping the way they snapped back would discourage the frog, but no matter how violently you pushed through them, you could hear the range of plops as each set of legs hit the ground.</p><p>Clutching the aloe in your fists, you contemplated just dropping it- maybe it was some sort of plant guardian frog, or maybe it wasn't, but it would be distracted by the plant somehow- but the idea of being sent back in and being chased the third time in one night was not worth the chance. You knew the way to the door, even in the dim reddish light the best chance was to keep going.</p><p>Or it was, until you tripped, faceplanting near the fountain.</p><p>Momentarily stunned, it took you too long to get back to your feet, but just as the thing advanced, there was a splash, a screech, and a wet pop.</p><p>You rolled over to see what was left of the frog beast dangling from a single dark tentacle.</p><p>The surface of the fountain rippled and more of it surfaced, a shiny black blob gazing at you from a golden eye that was wider than your arm span. It blinked its third eyelid, briefly making it's eye look milky and blank. Then, it reached over with it's tentacle, and slowly, but before you could gather yourself enough to back up, it nudged you, leaving a layer of slimy residue on your arm.</p><p>Whatever it had learned, it continued to rise above the water, visible eye locked on you, until it stood nearly as tall as the ceiling. You didn't want to picture how deep that fountain really was.</p><p>It poked you again, still slow, but this time shoving harder, knocking you back. A second tentacle rose out of the water, and whipped towards you.</p><p>You ducked, and it missed. Though it didn't lash out again, it kept its eye locked on you, and its tentacles in the air.</p><p>Slowly, you backed away, keeping eye contact with its great staring orb until you could no longer see it, and with the aloe in hand, you left the solarium.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Technically it’s the 11th but I didn’t have time to write this until it was nearly midnight.</p><p>This beast was inspired by the kraken, but specifically the ones in Eva Ibbotson’s Island of the Aunts, which is sort of between amorphous blob and whale shaped, and is sort of a guardian of the sea, as I recall. For some reason it’s not one of her more popular books so I haven’t found a copy and am just remembering from my childhood.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. something horrible inhabiting the guest bathroom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stepping back into the hallway, you almost tripped over, or rather, under, Mister Rishel.</p><p>"You!" he exclaimed, helping you steady yourself. "What happened to you? You're covered in leaves and what is this on your shirt?" Then, he looked over the shoulder at the door of the solarium, then down to the aloe in your hand. </p><p>"Oh, I see. Well come this way, we'd best clean you up. As it turns out, the guest bedroom is free after all, and I've just finished putting down new sheets. The bathroom isn't quite ready, but desperate times and all."</p><p>He led you further from the kitchen, showing you to a dark door. Inside was a large bedroom, with a canopy bed that had to be king-sized, and a vanity with a large mirror, dressers, a wardrobe, and a daybed around the room. He pointed at another door. </p><p>"The bathroom is just in there. It is mostly clean, but stay away from the bathtub. I will bring this to the kitchen to prepare, then see what I can do about getting you a clean shirt."</p><p>There he left you, and you let yourself into the bathroom.</p><p>It was very clean and bright, and for the first time since reaching the house, it felt like you hadn't been tricked into going someplace terrible, which made you feel even more like you were being tricked into doing something terrible.</p><p>Still, you made your way over to the sink, scrubbing your arms up to the elbows, and washing your face with a clean cloth from a basket on the counter. </p><p>You looked around for a brush to clear the debris out of your hair, as your fingers were making no progress, but none were in any of the drawers. You turned to look around. </p><p>There, on the edge of the bath tub, was a fine comb. The rest of the tub's contents were hidden by a curtain, which you were not interested in moving. Sighing, you walked over, taking care not to actually look at the bath.</p><p>You tried not to look, but just as you grasped the comb something seized your wrist.</p><p>Yelling out, you leapt back, and the pale, swollen hand that had grabbed you came along with a great splash, releasing after it had knocked the curtain back.</p><p>The nude, bloated corpse of what you thought was once an old woman floated in the bath.</p><p>She looked up at you, grinning somehow with her heavy, limp lips.</p><p>"Best behave while you're here, dearie. Else you'll wind up like me."</p><p>She cackled, and, comb tight in hand, you ran back into the bedroom.</p><p>Sitting at the vanity, you combed plant matter and bits of soil and mulch from your hair. When you finished, you noticed a bathrobe, so you took off your dirty top, put the robe on, then used the cleanest part of the stained shirt to wipe dirt and sweat from your neck.</p><p>There was a knock at the door, then Mister Rishel entered.</p><p>"Ah, I see you looked in the bath."</p><p>"I did my best not to, but when something grabs your wrist-"</p><p>"Let me guess- the only clean cloth was on the rim?"</p><p>You hoped Mister Rishel wasn't looking at your reflection when you blushed.</p><p>"It was the only comb, thank you."</p><p>"A common trick... but I suppose you're not from around here, are you?"</p><p>Shrugging your shoulders, you stood, and took a baggy looking white shirt from the butler.</p><p>"I'll wait for you outside the door. Wouldn't want you having any more unpleasant accidents."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finished this one before midnight, and tomorrow or tuesday I should be back at my normal schedule and this no longer hard to find time for.</p><p>Idk if a bloated corpse is a monster, but on the other hand, it is sort of alive. I realized after typing it out that this is kind of like The Shining. Also I picture the corpse kind of like that one scary stories to tell in the dark lady. (<a href="https://schindoslist.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/the-dream.jpg?w=374&amp;h=598">warning this is one of the spooky stephen gammel illustrations</a>)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. something they keep under a trap door to dispose of guests</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The enormous, pile-of-fabric-looking shirt actually fit pretty well, as it gathered at the wrists and neck, keeping the excess fabric out of your way. Thankfully none of the corpse water had splashed on your pants, and Mister Rishel seemed uninterested in making you change them over the few splashes from the fountain, instead just imploring you to follow him.</p><p>He led you back through the hall that you were pretty sure led to the dining room, and you followed behind him and slightly to the side, trying to see for sure where he was leading you. As you tried to keep up, he took one step directly to the right, continuing straight from there.</p><p>You didn't, and you felt your center of gravity leap within you as you fell straight down, yelling.</p><p>Something caught your wrist, and you winced as your shoulder twisted from the impact. You looked up, only to see Mister Rishel, looking down at you a bored expression on his face. You were grateful for his height; anyone else's arms couldn't have reached you so far down. Well, not anyone who was human, or human like.</p><p>Then something clamped your ankle. You thrashed, kicked, and finally looked down.</p><p>A hand was tightly gripping your leg, pulling you down toward even more hands, and, slightly obscured by the waving, pawing hands, and the shadows they cast, what looked like gnashing human teeth.</p><p>You couldn't take your eyes off it, even as Mister Rishel yanked you up and accidentally- you hoped- wrenched your shoulder quite hard again, but successfully removed you from the one, longest arm's grasp.</p><p>"Thank you," you said, eyes down, as he pulled you onto the carpeted floor.</p><p>"It wouldn't be suitable for our esteemed guest to disappear. I'm sure the Master would have words if you disappeared into the bowels of the house."</p><p>You tried not to take that too literally, but the teeth still ground and snapped audibly below the ledge.</p><p>"I really hate to say it right now," you said, "but I wasn't invited by the 'master,' whoever they are."</p><p>"That is odd, as she certainly seems to know who you are."</p><p>"Well, that's news to me," you muttered. "Did she mention why, or how, she knows me?"</p><p>"No. Perhaps it is only from the staff, perhaps-" he broke off, waving his hand airily, before pulling a candlestick on the wall, sealing the trap door you had fallen through with a great creak. </p><p>It may have just been your nerves, but you were pretty sure the noise of the clattering teeth hadn't stopped.</p><p>"I did say to follow me," he said.</p><p>"No one could have known you meant to follow your exact steps; ugh, why, and how, am I arguing with some goat man butler. You're lucky I'm not a dick, or I'd tell this 'master' that I was almost eaten." </p><p>You realized almost immediately that saying that out loud meant you were already a dick.</p><p>"Really," he said, looking down at you, his blurry horizontal pupils fixed on your face. "That's not what I expected of you. I thought you would either be brave enough to do it, or scared enough not to bring it up."</p><p>"Do I get some sort of prize?" you asked, mimicking his dry tone.</p><p>"If you stop digging yourself into an even more embarrassing hole, perhaps."</p><p>There was some humour in his voice.</p><p>You weren't sure whether he was serious, nor whether a 'prize' would be some esoteric knowledge or some more mouldy mushrooms or something only an enormous man-goat would enjoy, but you shut up.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It doesn’t matter if you were just grab-scared in the bathroom, it’s still going to be scary when you get grabbed on the ankle [this is not insistence that my writing is scary, just that it would still be scary if it happened to someone twice in succession]. Got this one in just before midnight too.</p><p>I wrote the last couple chapters using <a href="blindwrite.herokuapp.com/">blindwrite,</a> which is really helpful if you just need to stop thinking and put something down on the page in front of you.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. a resident that only SEEMS harmless and pleasant</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rishel returned you to the dining room, closing the door behind you, but this time, someone else was waiting inside: a sharp looking young woman with a short, clean cut to her hair and gentle, but shining eyes, who grinned at you.</p><p>"Finally, I get to meet our guest. Come here so I can get a look at you. You know, it's not often we get someone new around here. Are you doing okay? Do you need anything?"</p><p>You opened your mouth, but she continued without pause.</p><p>"Rishel there can be very standoffish can't he? I suppose I would be too if I was tricked into leaving an important, worthwhile life to become a servant. Far too harsh on Pebble, that one, and Nesch, and dear Forsyth. They can be a bit unpleasant; I mean, one is a dirty animal and one is practically dirt, but they are members of the house nonetheless. Are you sure you aren't hungry dear? The cook is busy but I think I have something in my purse."</p><p>This time, she actually stopped, waiting for a response.</p><p>"No thank you," you said. "Galley already made me a snack."</p><p>You did not see it necessary to tell her that the household pests had actually eaten the pasta.</p><p>She smiled widely, but for just a second her eyes seemed to bulge in their sockets.</p><p>"Of course, that's excellent. You look do look cold though, I might have something for that. It looks like you're wearing something you found on the floor this morning, maybe I can find something better for you-"</p><p>"Mister Rishel found this for me after I wrecked my shirt. It's fine for now," you said, holding your ground next to the tall chair Galley had assigned to you.</p><p>"Oh dear, I didn't mean to insult it or anything. I just know what it's like to want to look good." She flipped her hair, laughing.</p><p>"Are you sure I can't tempt you? I have a cuff that would look just excellent with that shirt, if you really want to keep wearing it."</p><p>"No, I think I'm good," you insisted. "And actually, I need to speak with Chef Galley quickly."</p><p>She smiled even wider.</p><p>"No need to bother him, what is it you need?"</p><p>Her eyes looked brighter than ever.</p><p>"I burnt myself. I brought him some aloe."</p><p>"I have just the thing! Here, let me get it out of my purse."</p><p>She started rustling through her bag, and you interrupted.</p><p>"It's alright, I already found the aloe. I just need to make sure he got it and that it was ready for him."</p><p>"Just <b>sit down,</b> there's no reason to bother him over that. I have the best little ointment here."</p><p>"Thanks; I'm good though." You walked pointedly toward the kitchen door.</p><p>"I said <b>sit down.</b>"</p><p>Something inside you tugged toward your seat, but your hand was already on the doorknob, and you were stepping into kitchen.</p><p>The chef looked over to you.</p><p>"Oh, good to see you again. I've got some aloe chilled for you right here, go ahead and use whatever you need."</p><p>You thanked him, and leaned against the counter as you applied it.</p><p>"So who's that lady in the dining room," you asked in a low voice.</p><p>He glanced over your shoulder, and his eyes widened.</p><p>"Adelaide," he said, waving over your shoulder at her, smiling, then spoke to you at a level you could hardly hear over the many boiling pots. "Go back before she gets suspicious, but don't accept anything."</p><p>"I figured that much out myself," you muttered, mostly to yourself, but you obeyed him, closing the kitchen door behind you and returning to your seat.</p><p>"So, Adelaide, was it? How are you?"</p><p>"Yes," she said. "And you?"</p><p>"I'm doing well, or as best as I can be considering my detour tonight," you told her, trying to give a faint smile. "Thankfully Pebble says she can have my car ready for tomorrow."</p><p>"I meant-" she started, a slight scowl marring her previously placid face. </p><p>You stared.</p><p>She regained her cheshire cat grin. "Oh, nevermind what I meant. You need a car to get home, then? I have one you can borrow as soon as dinner's over. Let me take you downstairs and show you."</p><p>The dining room door opened abruptly, and now she scowled openly.</p><p>"Well hello," chirped the newcomer. "Who have we here?!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I’m worried I missed the mark a bit here, as I dunno about you, but she does not come across as harmless and pleasant to me. Even if your mind doesn’t leap straight to fae, it probably went to some sort of predator, right?</p><p>I’m happy with how this came out though. The 13th of October is second most important after the 31st I think, and it is also the birthday of the one friend who I used to share all my writing with. I can’t get a hold of her lately, so I hope she’s doing well. Even though I really struggled to plan this chapter, I think she’d like it.</p><p>Used <a href="blindwrite.herokuapp.com/">blindwrite</a> again, still a very helpful tool.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. the only resident that is harmless and genuinely helpful</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Cornelia." </p><p>Your 'dining companion' held her smile, but her face looked sour.</p><p>"Oh, Adelaide, how good to see you! You know I thought you'd be in your room, but you weren't and I saw-" </p><p>She continued, but she was speaking very fast, and she had a mild inflection that made it just a half step harder to interpret her words as she sped up even more with excitement.</p><p>Also, you were distracted by the fact that she seemed to be an empty, floating ballgown.</p><p>"-and so I came here to meet our guest!"</p><p>Adelaide's smile had turned into a grimace.</p><p>"I'll be back for dinner, Cornelia, I have things to attend to."</p><p>"Of course, you know if you need anything, I-"</p><p>The door slammed shut behind Adelaide.</p><p>"I don't think she's ever liked me," Cornelia said cheerfully. "Now, is there anything you need?"</p><p>You didn't answer her, the repeated offers from Adelaide still echoing in your head.</p><p>"Oh, I see," she said, "you have just met Adelaide, after all. Don't worry, I don't need anything in exchange, what would I do with any things anyway." </p><p>She gestured toward her body, or lack thereof, with a sleeve. "Let me ask Forsyth for some tea."</p><p>Somehow opening the door, she looked in on the kitchen, and though you couldn't hear her over the clattering of pots and pans, Galley followed her out with a hot kettle, then poured it into a teapot on a side table you hadn't paid much attention to. His fur was damp and matted with what looked like bits of stringy meat.</p><p>"You'll have to make it yourself, I'm elbow deep in tonight's roast, but I did have a kettle going."</p><p>He rushed back into the kitchen, and the door shut behind him.</p><p>You stood to make the tea, but Cordelia made what you were pretty sure was a 'stop' gesture and sat back down.</p><p>She drew out two teabags, dunked them into the pot, then placed a pair of cups, the sugar bowl, and a small creamer onto a tray before bringing it over. She then sat to your right.</p><p>"There's only bag tea out here, and only breakfast, I hope that's alright?"</p><p>You shrugged, taking your cup from the tray and filling it with the barely steeped tea and a bit too much sugar.</p><p>"You shouldn't ignore me just because you can't see me," she said.</p><p>"Oh, sorry," you replied. "I've just met a lot of people today?"</p><p>"I understand, it was overwhelming my first day here too." She sighed. "It was for the best though, you can't imagine how hard it is to live in the city when you're invisible."</p><p>"Oh, I thought you were..."</p><p>"A ghost?" she supplied. "Don't worry, I'm not offended; I'm not even sure what I am some days, only that I'm here, and I'm definitely invisible. Anyway, you're new, what do you need to know?"</p><p>"I'm just a guest," you told her. "But uh, what's with Adelaide? And how long do you think it'll take for Pebble to fix my car? Is she good at it?"</p><p>She placed her elbows on the table, wrists straight up, perhaps resting her head in her hands.</p><p>"Adelaide can be a bit much, but as long as you don't accept anything, she's harmless. If you really do need something... well, try not to need something."</p><p>"I don't think I'm going to need anything from her overnight. Mister Rishel has been helpful."</p><p>"Of course, overnight. On that note, Peb can probably fix a car in no time, I wouldn't worry about it. Even if she gets distracted, it should be ready by morning."</p><p>None of these questions, nor their answers, really felt sufficient, so you tried something easier. "What do you think I should know?"</p><p>She was still for a moment, apparently considering her options.</p><p>"You'll get used to things sooner than you think."</p><p>"I am only staying the night, I'm not too worried about that."</p><p>You felt her pat your hand.</p><p>"That's right, just the night. Well then, I think you're already figuring things out, from what I've seen. For the most part, you can trust the staff. Be polite, or that may change. Rishel knows just about everything that goes on here;  he can be a great help if you stay on his good side. If you haven't been somewhere before, keep against the wall- I hear you already found one of the trap doors?"</p><p>Nodding, you gulped your tea.</p><p>"It doesn't take too long to memorize them, but for the short term, staying to the wall should be enough to stop you from falling, there is always at least a ledge. Stay out of the gardens, I hear you've learned that one too, and the bedrooms- that's not always dangerous, just rude. Don't leave your room after everyone is in bed, don't go snooping-"</p><p>She froze, and you heard footsteps outside.</p><p>"The most important thing is be polite about the master, even if she's not there. Now drink your tea."</p><p>Cornelia rushed out the door, leaving you and your cold, sugary cup of tea alone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I feel like I’m going to find a million errors in this tomorrow, even after proofreading it several times tonight.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. a conniving double-crosser that could be helpful</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You sat for a while, waiting for the next person to 'find' you, as apparently that was how the night was going to go. Besides, you were beginning to feel a bit leery of the hallway, even with Cornelia's hints. It was not long until your expectation was delivered.</p><p>A young man dropped in front of you, with a slight shudder as he hit the ground. His arms dangled rather limply from his shoulders, and he stood tall and narrow before you. He wore dramatic makeup.</p><p>"Our guest!" he exclaimed. "So good to finally meet you. You can call me Nathan."</p><p>You nodded, waiting to hear his story, and spared a glance at the ceiling. It looked solid.</p><p>He took the spot that Galley had kicked you out of earlier, kicking his rather flat looking legs up onto the table, knocking his plate askew.</p><p>"Have you been having a good time so far? I heard you've had your share of dramatic chases tonight."</p><p>Again, you nodded.</p><p>"Hey, I don't bite," he said, smiling.</p><p>"What do you want?" you asked.</p><p>"Straight to the point. I like that. Nothing like our last guest, Margaret."</p><p>He stood again, not bothering to reset his place at the table, and walked up to you, leaning in close.</p><p>At this point you realized he wasn't just wearing heavy makeup; his entire face was painted on.</p><p>"All I'm looking for is a good time. I'm bored. Know any party games?"</p><p>"No," you said, and poured yourself a new cup of tea.</p><p>"Hey!" he snapped, and his two dimensional eyes flashed. "I'm the one who sent Cor down here after I spotted Adelaide following you around, so maybe you should humor me a bit, unless you want to end up floating in the guest bathtub too."</p><p>You blinked. He wasn't very subtle, and alongside that thought, you realized you were becoming rather immune to the weird threats inside the old mansion.</p><p>On the other hand, he was apparently the 'young master,' and you had been warned about respect.</p><p>"Alright Nathan," you said. "What can I do for you?"</p><p>"A wager!" he exclaimed, suddenly grinning and bright. "Wagers are always interesting."</p><p>"I'm not the betting type," you said diplomatically.</p><p>"You mean you don't trust me," he said. "Fine, fine, we'll keep the stakes low then. How about-"</p><p>"I haven't got anything low stakes to bet with," you told him, "and I'm not going to up and bet with my soul to entertain you.</p><p>He laughed. "As if I deal in souls. Then, how about we wager a favour? We can work out the details when we need it."</p><p>You opened your mouth, and he cut you off.</p><p>"A <b>reasonable</b> favour. Something we can do without being killed, or maimed, or trapped underground for the foreseeable future."</p><p>That sounded as good as it was going to get, so you sighed in acquiescence. </p><p>"Tell me what we're betting on, and what you want to win."</p><p>"Future favours are so much more interesting though!"</p><p>You just looked at him.</p><p>"Fine, FINE. Look, I've got some tears happening, and no one has bothered to stitch them yet. It's been weeks."</p><p>He swung his leg up onto the chair beside you, and you saw bits of stuffing and ribbon bursting from a slit. </p><p>"If you lose, you fix them. If I lose, what do you want?"</p><p>"To go home."</p><p>"Can't do that one."</p><p>"What else would I want when I'm stuck here?"</p><p>"Better treatment? Nicer pillows? Guidance?"</p><p>"Guidance," you said, and he opened his mouth immediately. "Not advice, especially not from you- I want a map of the house and grounds, and your assistance navigating my way out."</p><p>"Fine, I can do that."</p><p>"So what are we actually betting on?"</p><p>"A test of skill!" he exclaimed. "If you can get past the guard, I'll help you. In fact, you'll be getting your prize before you even complete the wager. But if I win, you are coming back in the house, your map is being nixed, and you're stitching these damn holes."</p><p>He held out his hand.</p><p>"The guard is going to kill me, isn't he?"</p><p>"Probably not!" Nathan said, his grin stretching even wider.</p><p>You shook.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I’m not super confident this was on theme enough, but this is a harder one to punch out in a single, quite short chapter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. the night watch/security chief</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nathan led you through a narrow doorway, into another slim, tall passageway, like the one Mister Rishel had led you through earlier in the day. Occasionally he stopped, and waited, and more than once, he disappeared before either popping up or crumpling on the floor before you.  </p><p>You came to a straight drop to the floor below, with no stairs, ladder, or anything else. Loathe as you were to let him touch you, you allowed Nathan to lift you down with his long, floppy arms.</p><p>It wasn't long before the door opened into the foyer at the entrance.</p><p>"You know the way out from here," Nathan said. "I'll slip outside and watch, make sure you don't renege on our deal."</p><p>"Wait," you said. "I can't leave without my car. I almost got eaten just getting to this place."</p><p>He rolled his eyes, or at least his pupils floated higher on his flat face.</p><p>"I'll give you the map and help you find it after you do your test."</p><p>You scowled, but nodded and slipped out the door.</p><p>The salamander was nowhere to be seen, something that made you even more aware that Nathan had told you to pass the night watchman, not just slip out.</p><p>You looked around, but there was no one in sight. If you were lucky, they were busy switching  shifts or something.</p><p>Keeping your back to a  hedge that lined the entryway, you crept toward the gate. The fires were no longer burning, </p><p>Looking to the skies, you hoped that whatever the guard was couldn't fly, and that you weren't wasting your time sneaking when you were already seen, but you saw nothing shadowed against the cloudy sky. Continuing along the way, you crept slowly and silently toward the gate.</p><p>It was too easy. You reached the gate, and it unlocked from the inside without a key. You looked around for Nathan, quick, but couldn't see him. Of course he was going to send you through the gate, back to the plant monster's domain, before he would admit you'd won.</p><p>Gulping, you unlocked the gate and opened it just enough to slip through.</p><p>"Well, well, well. Who do we have here?"</p><p>You jumped, then spun toward the voice. Just to the side of the gate, behind the brick fence, was a stout man in dark clothes. Even after seeing him, it was hard to focus in the dim light, but you could see his high pointed collar, and locks tied back in a loose, but neat ponytail.</p><p>"Please tell me you're not the guard."</p><p>He laughed, and it echoed around you, seeming to close in on you the longer it went on.</p><p>"I am. You can call me Bertrand, though not for much longer."</p><p>"In my defense," you started. "Nathan said you probably wouldn't kill me."</p><p>Bertrand smiled. </p><p>"Most of us have learned not to trust Nathan."</p><p>"Yeah, I see why that is," you said, backing towards the gate. "I hear the master is expecting me for dinner, so I had better get back inside."</p><p>"Oh," he said voice short, clipped, and displeased. "You're the guest."</p><p>"So I've been told."</p><p>He looked you over, though his eyes kept returning to your neck. You wished Mister Rishel had gotten you something a bit more substantial in covering it.</p><p>"Oh fine," Bertrand said, finally. "Go back in. But if I find you creeping around out here again-"</p><p>"You won't!" you said, and he looked disappointed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We all knew there’d be a vampire eventually. I couldn’t resist letting him keep the traditional pointy collar, even though there’s scant description of his appearance (it was dark out).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. waste management</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You jogged toward the door, not wanting to test Bertrand's patience, skidding to a halt when what seemed to be a tin can full of sauce smacked into the ground beside you.</p><p>Taking several steps to the side, you looked up, only to see some bones careening toward you, then some vegetable bits behind those.</p><p>Large mitten-like hands grabbed you by the shoulders, yanking you toward the house just as a big pile of something lurched in front of you, then gurgled as it consumed the scraps, including the tin can.</p><p>Looking over your shoulder, you found Nathan.</p><p>"I'm not going to let you get eaten before you stitch me up."</p><p>"What is that?" you asked.</p><p>"Trills? She's the cook's pet. Some sort of blob, I don't know. I've never paid much attention to her. She eats the scraps."</p><p>"And the tin cans?"</p><p>"I don't think so," he said, "but she gets rid of them."</p><p>"How?"</p><p>"Who cares?" Nathan asked, reminding you that he was indeed the heir apparent to the owner of the enormous mansion.</p><p>"Can I pet her?"</p><p>"I don't see why you would <b>want</b> to," he said, mouth twisting at the idea. "But as long as you don't lose your sewing fingers, go ahead."</p><p>You petted Trills. It was sort of like running your hands over a jello mold, except a bit wetter.</p><p>Trills made what sounded like a purr, or maybe just a more subtle gurgle. You cooed at her a bit, then patted her once more.</p><p>"Okay, I'm good," you told Nathan. "Where can I wash my hands?"</p><p>He looked annoyed, and like he might deny you the chance, but then he glanced from your hands, slick with translucent slime, and back to his rips, and seemed to think better of it.</p><p>"Come with me," he said. "You can wash them while we get the sewing kit."</p><p>You followed him back up the staircase, the left one this time, resisting the urge to wipe your hands on your jeans.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Shorter, but I didn’t really know how to make this one long. I said what I wanted to say about Trills, so.</p><p>(also I almost forgot to post this to AO3, that's part of why it's late)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. the resident medical expert</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nathan barged into a small, white-bright room. It smelled sterile and a bit like bleach bleach, just enough to be irritating.</p><p>"Out," said the resident, not bothering to turn in her chair. You could see some scraggly white hair around Nathan, but not much else.</p><p>"Our guest needs to borrow the sewing kit."</p><p>"You mean <b>you</b> need to borrow my sewing kit."</p><p>She spun around to face you, inspecting you with large, round eyes, set deep in bruised blue sockets. Purplish veins shone through the more subtle waxiness of her skin. </p><p>"I can't believe I used to like your eyes," Nathan muttered.</p><p>"The better to see you with, Nate. You're the one with rips in your body; leave the guest alone and get out of here. I'm busy, it seems Cornelia isn't feeling well. and I don't even know what goes on with her."</p><p>"I'm going, I just need a needle and thread," Nathan said.</p><p>She met your gaze, and you broke eye contact almost immediately, fairly sure you had been staring.</p><p>"I'm Dr. Rhoda Quoll, specialist in forensic pathology, and his," she waved to indicate Nathan, "family doctor. Nice to meet you." </p><p>She held out her spindly hand, and when you shook, an extra joint in each finger allowed her grip to fully encompass your hands.</p><p>"Be careful with this one," she said, tilting her head at Nathan.</p><p>"I've figured that out. Otherwise I wouldn't be in here sewing him."</p><p>"Of course." </p><p>She looked back at him with some revulsion.</p><p>"For your sake, you stitch him up in here," she turned her head, "but not a word from you, Nate."</p><p>He made a noise and sat on a low cot.</p><p>"Don't be an ass, sit on the damn exam chair."</p><p>He hissed obnoxiously, but obeyed, laying down so that you would not have to kneel while sewing.</p><p>"Thanks," you said, but you weren't sure which one you were really talking to.</p><p>You weren't great at sewing, but you could put two pieces of fabric together decently. Using a few pins to hold it in place, you stretched the fabric of Nathan's pants- or were they just his legs?- together and went slowly, trying to make it neat.</p><p>"Would it be rude," you asked Dr. Quoll, "to ask what exactly you are?"</p><p>"It would. Since you're not from here, though, I'm a ghoul. That's part of how I chose my specialty."</p><p>"Where did you go to school for that?"</p><p>Although you couldn't really understand her answer, you also couldn't parrot it to check if you heard her right. You were pretty sure you had never heard of it before. </p><p>Dr. Quoll took a call on a corded phone, so you let the conversation fall away.</p><p>When you finished Nathan's leg, he sat up, and you repeated the process under his right arm and on his left forearm.</p><p>"Well," he said, as though he was no longer concerned about Quoll's sharp rules. "Let's go, Guest. We'll just make a few more stops behind the dining room."</p><p>"No," said Dr. Quoll, and Nathan bristled. She continued.</p><p>"Rishel will be picking her up in a few minutes. You on the other hand, Nate, can get the hell out."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Forgot to write a note for this when I uploaded it. Still not sure what to write about it, but I’m happy with the idea of a ghoul doctor. </p><p>Also forgot to upload to AO3 at all last night, but here it is.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. the librarian</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mister Rishel wasted no time in picking you up from Dr. Quoll's little clinic.</p><p>"Thank you Rhoda, we'll be on our way," he told her, shutting the door before turning to you. "Since apparently we just cannot keep you in the dining room, I'm taking you to the library."</p><p>"Sure!" </p><p>You felt more chipper just by hearing it. The library could have as many comings and goings as the dining room, but it was probably a lot safer than the solarium, or the guest bathroom, or any of the courtyards.</p><p>"Don't make any jokes about the librarian, Rover. He can be sensitive."</p><p>"Why would I make jokes about someone I've never met?"</p><p>Rishel didn't answer and swung the door open.</p><p>The library itself was exactly as you expected, tall, imposing, red and gold and dark wood throughout and a few armchairs and lamps scattered around as though someone had attempted to make it cozy. </p><p>Curled up on a large sofa with an almost square seat was a big, damp, pink earthworm.</p><p>"Oh, you said. "Okay, no, I get it."</p><p>"Rover, could you please keep an eye on our guest? Dinner is going to be rather late."</p><p>The monstrous worm raised his head, and although you couldn't see his eyes, if he even had any, you were pretty sure he was looking at you. Then he 'looked' toward Rishel.</p><p>"I'm not the babysitter."</p><p>"I'm sure there won't be any trouble," Rishel said, then abruptly left, closing the door before you could turn to say goodbye.</p><p>Swallowing slightly, you looked to Rover again.</p><p>"Do you mind if I look for a book?"</p><p>"It's a library! Be quiet and be careful and otherwise I don't care."</p><p>"Careful?"</p><p>"With the books!"</p><p>Rover wasn't being a great role model, you thought, but you kept your head down, your mouth shut and wandered between the immense shelves. Many of the books were in languages you didn't even recognize, and of those you could read, most were heavy, thick reference books that did not seem to be sorted in any particular way. It took a while- you weren't sure exactly how long, you were really losing time ever since entering the mansion- but you did  find a couple novels and what appeared to be a hand-recorded journal of ghost stories. You even found one of the armchairs with a lamp and side table to sit down.</p><p>As you read, only a few pages into the journal, you heard a crash, a yell, and a plethora of curse words.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>get it he’s a BOOKWORM</p><p>Name is from a worm in an Eva Ibbotson book. I don’t remember how it ended but he was a familiar, so maybe he grew so powerful that he became a magic using worm of his own accord, resigned, and pursued his dream of becoming a librarian</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. a scientist or inventor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Somehow already regretting it, you headed toward the source of the crash and found a man collapsed on the floor next to one of the long wooden ladders, book in hand. He had wild white hair and wore a lab coat.</p><p>He continued cursing, so you were reasonably sure he had survived. </p><p>"Are you okay?"</p><p>He kept swearing. You kept your distance.</p><p>"Silence!" Rover bellowed, but even after you waited a while, lab coat guy cursing the entire time, he didn't emerge from the stacks.</p><p>The man had made his way back onto his feet, though he was clutching the side of a shelf to hold himself up, and now that you got a good look at him, you realized he looked like every cartoon mad scientist, from the frizzy shock white hair to the lab coat to the spider web crack in the left lens of his thick glasses</p><p>"Doctor Sipos?" you asked, further taking in the stains on his clothes, the smudges of char on his hands, and, though you weren't sure how you had missed it before, the creepy uniformity of his skin; smooth as porcelain, pale to the point that you could swear parts of him were transparent, and pliable, as if it was a thin stretchy membrane over his gelatinous insides. Even the strange scarred portion behind the shattered glasses lens was flexible yet glasslike.</p><p>On the other hand, he was now standing up straight, and you were pretty sure that required a skeleton.</p><p>"At your service. You must be the guest I've heard rumblings about."</p><p>"That's me."</p><p>"Excellent, would you accompany me to my lab? I've been needing a few new blood samples to experiment on, and it's hard enough finding someone in this house who has blood, let alone is willing to let me draw it."</p><p>"Uh," you said, "no."</p><p>He snorted, glaring at you.</p><p>"Then what good are you to me?"</p><p>"I don't care."</p><p>He looked more pissed off, but he was also hard to find scary; he was just a weird little uncanny valley cartoon man.</p><p>"Look, I only came to see who fell off the ladder, I'll get back to my reading now."</p><p>You turned to leave, but he caught your hand in one of his weird squishy ones.</p><p>"Wait, at least come to my lab. I can show you how painless the blood donation is."</p><p>You must have looked as unimpressed as you felt, for he immediately backpedaled.</p><p>"Okay, fine, no blood. I still need to introduce you to my creations. Wouldn't want them to see you as a threat when we all arrive at dinner."</p><p>He still seemed like less of a jerk than Rover, so you followed him through the stacks to a small, inconspicuous doorway.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The only note I had for this chapter (which was still more of a note than most of these chapters have ahead of time) was “Dr Sipos (the asshole).” He was last mentioned by Peb on day five.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. the scientist’s creation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rather than another staff passage, the doorway opened directly into a lab. It was furnished similarly to Dr. Quoll's office, with the same cabinets and bluish vinyl upholstery, but it was much larger, and did not smack you with the wave of sterility the medical room had. In fact it was rather dingy. Across the room was something that looked like a sheet ghost.</p><p>"Come along, come along," called Sipos, winding around stray furniture and occasional piles of nuts and bolts without once checking his footing. </p><p>You followed at a considerably slower rate.</p><p>"Here she is- do keep up!"</p><p>Only a couple seconds after him, you arrived at a wide, white counter, marred with a few greasy fingerprints, upon which sat whatever was covered by the sheet. </p><p>Before you could make any guesses, Sipos whipped the fabric away without even a 'hoopla!' and stood proud, arms held out to present his creation.</p><p>When you didn't immediately react, he muttered, "oh, right," and jabbed his thumb into its side.</p><p>"Cynthia, dear, you have a visitor."</p><p>The humanoid thing popped its eyes open, staring you down with one dark natural eye and one lens lit with a red light, which whirred three times as it focused.</p><p>"The perfect lab partner," Sipos announced.</p><p>Her skin was even more transparent than his, and it had a slight tinge of colour that leaned more green than olive, and you could see a mixture of veins, vessels, and wires behind it. A bubblegum pink wig sat atop her head, and she wore a fully buttoned white lab coat, which was much cleaner than the one Sipos wore.</p><p>Leaning in close to inspect her, you started when she blinked, pulling back.</p><p>"Oh, sorry," you said, and introduced yourself. "Is it okay if I look closer? I haven't seen a cyborg?" </p><p>You glanced from Sipos' eyes to hers for assent to the term, and neither objected.</p><p>"I haven't seen a cyborg before."</p><p>"Oh, absolutely," she said, giving you a smile that, despite her inhuman qualities, could only be described as salacious.</p><p>Trying not to meet the grin, especially after catching Sipos frowning form the corner of your eye, you leaned in again, looking at the network of biological and artificial channels beneath her skin.</p><p>"May I?" you asked, reaching for her arm.</p><p>She gave it to you, you squeezed it, and it gave away, squishing out to the sides until you could feel the tubes following the metal structure in the wrist. </p><p>You released her, and told yourself that it was probably also the way Sipos' skin felt, largely to quell the curiousity that made you want to squish his strange translucent face.</p><p>"Thanks, and nice to meet you. Have you worked on much with Dr. Sipos?"</p><p>"Oh yes," she said, her smile more relaxed this time. "I've been here for about a year, and we almost always have something going. I still find time to get out of the lab, though." </p><p>"That's cool, what do you get up to?"</p><p>"I read a lot, since the library's right here, Rover is very kind, and I'm good friends with... have you met Dr. Rhoda? Oh good, she is just sweet isn't she? We're great friends."</p><p>She glanced at Sipos, then, blocking her lips with her hand, stage whispered, "I don't think Mr. Sipos much likes her though."</p><p>"<b>Doctor</b> Sipos, Cynthia."</p><p>He had a very forced smile.</p><p>"Of course sir. Why don't we show our guest the AF 4.0? It's just over here," she said, delicately unplugging a cable from the outlet behind her and taking your hand.</p><p>Sipos' lips were pressed shut,  and he did not follow you toward the cupboard.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It took me a while to figure out whose voice I was hearing for Cynthia, but I did figure it out and it’s the voice of Umbriel, the mermaid in Futurama.</p><p>Character largely inspired by the song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcsMVK6cOCc">Cyborg by The Phenomenauts</a>, but I think Sipos is creepier than that narrator and I also thought it would be funnier as a concept if as well as “realiz[ing] she was to good for [him]” she was interested in almost everyone outside of her creator, who made her to be the perfect lab partner and love partner.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. a more defective creation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Cynthia opened the cupboard, you blinked back the brightness for a moment before you could focus. The space was filled with grow lights, thermometers, hygrometers, several gardening tools you recognized and several that you didn't. In the center was a little tray of dirt, and on top of it, a bundle of flowers. There were roses and something that might have been baby's breath, and it was plugged into an outlet along with all the daisy chained light cords.</p><p>"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked, waving for you to step closer as she reached forward, disconnecting the wire.</p><p>You twitched when it began to move, but stood your ground. Unlike the plant thing outside, Cujo, this was scarcely as big as a cat.</p><p>"She's just waking up. Oh, hello dear."</p><p>Cynthia gently ran a finger over the large rosebud that made up the creature's head, and it pressed into her touch.</p><p>It seemed like it should purr, but it- she- didn't make a sound.</p><p>Hesitating at first, you followed Cynthia's lead, barely touching the four legged plant, nervous about injuring it or pissing it off.</p><p>Your worries went unheeded, as soon, her rosebud face slowly opened and closed in a silent yawn.</p><p>The plant creature laid back down on the bed of soil, and Cynthia reconnected the cable somewhere underneath the plant life, then picked up a misting bottle.</p><p>"We haven't been able to make one with enough energy to keep going much longer than that. Hardier plants have done a bit better, but they can be more difficult to keep comfortable, and Mr. Sipos doesn't like them as much."</p><p>"Oh," you said. "Have you talked to Nesch and Peb?"</p><p>Cynthia put a finger to her lips and glanced back at Sipos, who was rummaging in a set of drawers across the room.</p><p>"Mr. Sipos says that they don't know the theory or real science and that he wants to figure it out himself, but I think he just doesn't want to admit they did better than him, especially now that he can't go out in the gardens."</p><p>"Because they're upset about Cujo?"</p><p>She smirked.</p><p>"Oh, no, he doesn't care about anyone's feelings. Cujo spat something onto his face though, and now he can't go out in the sun, or even look at the lights in here without it blistering. I've been the only one working on Aphrodite now."</p><p>You looked at the plant, then back to her.</p><p>"AF 4.0. The AF is for 'animate flora,' and she's the first version of our fourth model. Well, <b>my</b> second model. I got used to calling her "aff-four-oh" and that's half way to Aphrodite anyway. She's so beautiful anyway, it suits her."</p><p>"She sure is," you said, smiling, but mostly hoping she would close the door on the plant thing, literally and figuratively.</p><p>"Aph wouldn't be nearly as pretty without Benny's help though- wait, have you met Benny yet?"</p><p>"No," you said, "but I am supposed to be in the library right now."</p><p>"Don't worry, I'll take you right back there after you meet them."</p><p>You thought about protesting, but your heart wasn't in it, and Cynthia was already yelling at Sipos about her break.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>She’s not defective in an ugly or bad way, she just doesn’t quite work right yet. We’ve all had an early version of some electronic that didn’t hold a charge (though, she IS partially solar charged and my solar charging calculators in school were some of my longest lasting things ever).</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. an artist</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It took several instances near-misses on trap doors and another flight of stairs before Cynthia stopped in front of a room, waiting for you to catch up before she knocked.</p><p>"Benny? It's me, can I come in?"</p><p>You couldn't quite make out the reply through the closed door, but it was probably affirmative, as Cynthia pulled it open, gesturing for you to go ahead of her.</p><p>"I brought the guest to meet you, I hope that's okay."</p><p>"The more the merrier, I've just finished the painting I was working on."</p><p>From behind a large easel and canvas emerged what you could only assume was a yeti. They were covered in mottled white and tan fur, with a face like a bear's, but shorter. Their head nearly touched the high, vaulted ceiling.</p><p>They also had bits of paint all over their hands- paws?- and elbows.</p><p>"Just let me clean up a bit, Cyn, before this sets in my fur. If I wait I'll have to cut it out, again."</p><p>You waited while Benny washed up in the basin, taking in the room around you. The windows across were enormous, but the lighting came from humming yellow lamps around the room. The walls were covered in a mix of framed and unframed pictures, ranging from colourful abstract pieces to stern, dark portraits of Mister Rishel, Nathan, and many others who you hadn't met, or who were drawn so dark that you couldn't make them out.</p><p>"Nice to meet you, we don't have guests very often, you know. You have to let me paint you, I'm sore for new subjects, I mean look-" they gestured toward a small painting just behind you- "I've even been painting those damn crustaceans."</p><p>Turning to the painting of the scorpion crabs, you also saw an anatomical sketch pinned next to it, and, one further down, a portrait of Letitia, brilliant white and blue against a neutral background.</p><p>"Where's that drawing of Cujo?" asked Cynthia, and Benny led you over.</p><p>In the portrait, Cujo was standing in the gardens, only about the size of a border collie, and in full bloom, with sprays of tiny white flowers accompanying the ticks of yellow buds you had seen earlier. Larger white and blush blossoms bloomed on the prickled vines, and bell-like flowers hung from his underside.</p><p>"He looks a lot different than when I met him."</p><p>"I know," said Cynthia, "and I am working on a cure, at least when Sipos isn't around to be mad about it."</p><p>"Why don't you come see my current work? I know Cynthia's been on her toes waiting for it since I asked her to model."</p><p>Standing in front of the painting, they continued.</p><p>"Now, it might look a little off in this lighting. I mixed the colours while there was still natural light, so it should be better in the morning. It's also still wet, so some things may change."</p><p>"You don't have to make excuses," said Cynthia. "I know it will be perfect."</p><p>Raising their hands in mock surrender, Benny stepped aside.</p><p>Cynthia was sitting in a pretty little chair, and on her lap was AF 4.0, curled up on her lap but giving an alert stare out of the portrait.</p><p>The translucence of Cynthia's skin was detailed in, with subtle lines and shading marking her internal makings, and her pink hair was elegantly styled upwards, out of the way of her pet.</p><p>Benny jumped a bit when Cynthia hugged them, but relaxed and returned the gesture.</p><p>"I'm glad you like it, Cyn."</p><p>There was a knock on the door.</p><p>"Oh! That's the kids, I said I'd help out with their art tonight. You guys are welcome to stay and watch."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Late because I couldn’t concentrate on writing last night and ended up stopping halfway because it was already almost 3am. Will still be posting today’s today as well.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. a young child monster (or several)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You somehow expected a flood of kindergartners to pour into the studio, but instead two older children entered. It was probably for the best, you didn't want to know where, how, nor why the master of the house would have gathered a hoard of young children.</p><p>Even from across the room, you saw some family resemblance between one of the children and Nathan, namely, that he was also constructed from a doll. Unlike Nathan, who was lanky and stretched tall, clothes sewn tight to him, a fabric mannequin without strings, this boy was s bit short and his skin was smooth porcelain, dressed in a muted but garish fashion- dull, somewhat sun-bleached fabric tones, but with lots of frills and lace. He had a short mop of chestnut hair. You were thankful that he at least didn't move like a doll.</p><p>The other kid looked human, she didn't have even a hint of the greyness that the night guard and Dr. Quoll had. Her hair was pulled into two voluminous poofs and tied with teal ribbons, matching her dress, which looked even brighter next to the boy's faded out style.</p><p>"Oh, the guest is here, Maxine," he said without turning to his companion, though she nodded.</p><p>Benny gave you a look of ill-masked anxiousness.</p><p>"Is that okay with you, Grady?"</p><p>He glanced up and down you, then shrugged. </p><p>"If you get along, I don't care."</p><p>Maxine nodded agreement, but you could see in her eyes that she was giving you a much harder appraisal.</p><p>"Max, Grady, I'm done with paint for the day. Are you two okay doing charcoal sketches?"</p><p>Both nodded, and now Maxine was smiling, a hint of her pointed canine visible.</p><p>Benny left you standing next to Cynthia while they arranged a mix of different shaped bottles on two different desks against one of the low walls, laying out charcoal and paper on each, then beckoned the children over to get started. They leaned over their work, faces grim with studious intent.</p><p>"They really get along with Benny, huh?"</p><p>"Of course," Cynthia said, smiling. "Their families tend to be busy, especially Grady's parent, the master, and Nathan- you've met?- Nathan's not much of an example for them even if he hung around, but even if Benny is busy the kids can always come sit with them."</p><p>"I don't think I've met any of Maxine's family yet."</p><p>"You haven't met Forsyth? I heard you got here before Bertrand went on shift, but I thought you were up in the dining room for a while."</p><p>It took you a second to remember who Bertrand was, though you knew you'd heard the name.</p><p>"Oh! Yes, I met Forsyth, and Bertrand later. I didn't realize they had a kid, or that they were together."</p><p>"They're pretty subtle in the house, but Forsyth assured me that they are <b>very</b> affectionate behind closed doors."</p><p>"Good to know?"</p><p>"Very," she repeated, her face stone serious.</p><p>You waited, and after a few seconds of silence, she returned to the topic.</p><p>"Benny also helped cut some of Grady's wigs and convinced Rhoda to help her customize and refit some of his clothes, so they're pretty close."</p><p>"What's that, Cyn?" asked Benny, throwing her arm around the android on approach.</p><p>"Just saying how you and Grady get along."</p><p>"Oh, he's a great kid, and so is Max. Clever too."</p><p>You smiled, then remembered you had places- or a place- to be.</p><p>"Cynthia, I should really get to the library."</p><p>"Right! I forgot! Give me a second."</p><p>She turned and gave Benny a dramatic, kiss, bending back under her paramour before separating.</p><p>Cheeks literally glowing, she led you to the door.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yes I do mean literally, not figuratively. Anyway, seemed like a good time to confirm more gay. Forsyth identifies as bi, Bertrand is gay. Benny is sapphic and Cynthia is pan. Both kids are queer, but they’re about 11-12 and are not yet 100% on any labels until they learn more about themselves, though Grady knows he’s some kind of transmasculine (on which note, Cornelia is a trans woman).</p><p>(Forsyth: ch. 7, 8, 13, 14, the cook, werewolf)<br/>(Cornelia: ch. 14, genuinely helpful, invisible woman, possible ghost)<br/>(Bertrand: ch. 16, nightwatchman vampire)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. a nanny or on-site schoolteacher</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stepping out the door, you kicked something soft, tripped over it, and fell hard on your side.</p><p>An angry little man with triangle ears glared at you from behind his sharp, well groomed muttonchops.</p><p>"As though I don't have enough to worry about keeping track of the children, you adults have to get in my way."</p><p>"Sorry," you said, though you didn't really feel it. Maybe if you hadn't been snarled at immediately after falling. Sitting up, you rolled your shoulder back and forth a few times.</p><p>"Be nicer to our guest, Thaddeus."</p><p>"It's okay, Cynthia." </p><p>You stood and met Thaddeus' eyes, trying not to look down on him too much, for now that you had your bearings, you realized that he was not just little, but scarcely taller than your hip.</p><p>"Sorry," you said again. "I didn't expect anyone to be outside the door.  Every time I've been in the halls it's just been me and whoever's escorting me."</p><p>"Maybe there were other people in the hallway and you just don't know it because you weren't paying attention! If those kids paid this little attention-"</p><p>Grady stepped into the doorway, interrupting your attempt at a retort. Maxine stood just behind him, looking over his shoulder.</p><p>"Calm down, Mr. Hart." His voice was cold.</p><p>Turning red, Thaddeus started on you again.</p><p>"And now you're trying to turn the children against me!"</p><p>"I'm leaving tomorrow morning! I don't have the time or energy to rally anyone against you!"</p><p>"You're leaving?" asked the children in unison.</p><p>"See, you've got them all riled up! How am I supposed to teach them now?"</p><p>"Okay, okay, I'm going. I was trying to leave anyway."</p><p>"You're going <i>now?</i>" asked Maxine.</p><p>"No, I-" </p><p>Thaddeus started sputtering again, but you cut him off.</p><p>"Look, I'll see you at dinner, but I'm leaving in the morning, and I'll be out of everyone's way then, so please just behave for Mr. Hart so I can go get ready for dinner."</p><p>"Okay!" chanted the children, trotting back into the studio, followed by their tutor.</p><p>"Bye, Benny," called Cynthia quietly, then closed the door behind Thaddeus.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>They might not have been the ones to rile him up (this time), but the kids know how to keep him riled up. Shorter chapter. Hoping to write two tomorrow (or sometime this week) so that on Halloween I can post at the beginning of the day rather than the end.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. a pair of monstrous lovers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Sorry I caused a scene, Cynthia."</p><p>"You didn't, Thaddeus can just be a bit hot headed sometimes. He really loves teaching, but he shows it in weird ways."</p><p>There was a strange rumbling, and you paused at the bottom of the staircase, listening.</p><p>"Do you hear that?"</p><p>"I was talking," she said, "but I don't think I heard anything that wasn't a normal house sound."</p><p>You followed her through the corridor staying directly behind her, having learned from your mistakes following Mister Rishel. Another low grating sound echoed through the hall.</p><p>"That sound!"</p><p>"Oh, that's nothing," said Cynthia, waving her hand as she led you around the corner, revealing the source of the noise.</p><p>"That's not nothing," you said under your breath, staring at the display before you.</p><p>Two large stone beasts purred, but that was not the sound you had heard. The rumbling you had heard was the sound of stone against stone, the grind of the gargoyles rubbing their faces against each other like cats. </p><p>Cynthia blushed, avoiding both eye contact with you and direct looks at the gargoyles.</p><p>One had large wings, an elongated face like that of a mandrill, complete with sculpted fur in a starburst around it, and the body of some sort of large cat. The other, who was now passing her head under the other's chin, was more heavily built, carved muscles bulging, ticked with V shaped scales, and standing on wide, webbed paws. She noticed you, and her large, fin-like ears popped up as she separated from her companion. Her face was wide and expressive, with large eyes as big as your palms.</p><p>"Hello," she said, walking forward until you stood face to face, half a pace apart. "Are you new here?"</p><p>"This is our guest, Perrine!"</p><p>Cynthia was no longer hiding her face, instead smiling at one of her apparently plentiful friends.</p><p>"Do you like swimming?" she asked without hesitation. "I have this great, deep fountain we can check out."</p><p>"Let me get a look!" brayed the other beast, tramping forward and rearing up a bit to nudge her aside with his forepaw.</p><p>Perrine shoved him harder with her shoulder, pushing him back, then sniffing at you, forcing you to step back.</p><p>"What brings a quest all the way out here, anyway?" she asked, eyes narrowing.</p><p>"My car broke down in the woods, and I ended up here."</p><p>"Don't worry Perr, we've spent the better part of the evening together."</p><p>The gargoyle looked you over once more.</p><p>"I trust your judgement."</p><p>She sighed, stepping aside to let the other one forward.</p><p>"I'm Boniface, how excellent to meet you. Forgive my Perrine, she can be a bit protective."</p><p>"Only because you can be a bit trusting." She butted him playfully with the top of her head, the resulting sound echoing through the halls.</p><p>"Maybe so, maybe so." Boniface leaned over, and the rumbling sound of grinding stone sounded again as he touched his cheek to hers. </p><p>"A friend of Cynthia's is a friend of ours."</p><p>"Thanks," you said, though as you said it, you tried to create some distance between yourself and the gargoyle's fangs. "And I don't mind swimming, but I've not had the best luck with fountains here so far, and it is October, and I am leaving in the morning, so I think I will miss out."</p><p>"'Leaving in the morning,'" echoed Boniface, chuckling. Perrine joined with her own soft laugh, then led her companion past you, disappearing behind the corner opposite the one you'd come from.</p><p>You watched them leave.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I kind of expected the gargoyles to have hornier energy but I also didn’t want to super intentionally write that or this would have gone a whole different direction many episodes back.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. something so horrible even they keep it tightly locked away</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I see the library hasn't been able to hold you either."</p><p>Jumping, you spun to see Mister Rishel, who had somehow crept up behind you in the seconds that you had been watching the gargoyles leave.</p><p>As though he'd read your mind, he told you, "I've just stepped out of the library."</p><p>"Sorry Rishel, I just had to introduce our guest to Benny, and then Maxine and Grady came in, and then we ran into Thaddeus, then Perr and Boniface."</p><p>"And you two met in the library?" he asked, brows raised in doubt.</p><p>"Well no," you said. "Dr. Sipos wanted me to come to the laboratory."</p><p>"It seems," he said pinching his wide nasal bridge like you were a sinus headache he could drive away, "as though I need to speak to everyone in this household, just to keep one person in one room. Come, back to the library. Cynthia, you can tell Sipos that I asked you to stay with our guest."</p><p>"Gladly."</p><p>You followed the pair into the library, almost colliding with their shoulders as both stopped short.</p><p>"Where is Rover?" whispered Cynthia.</p><p>"I don't know but I'm going to get him for this. Get him back, and go get him to deal with it."</p><p>"Guys?" you asked.</p><p>"Ah," crowed a new voice, "our guest. I've been dying to meet you."</p><p>Mister Rishel brushed past you in a rush, slamming the door shut behind him, and your eyes fell upon the speaker, who stood their wearing a worn out suit and tie.</p><p>"I'm Jeremy Husk, and I haven't caught your name yet."</p><p>His grin was toothy, though several were missing, and his skin was shiny, waxier than Dr. Quoll's, and unlike hers, it hung limp, some dirty looking creases set into the folds of his sagging face. Flies buzzed around his head, and several of the crab-things were trying to pick through his glossy brown choes.</p><p>It was about forty seconds into your observation that you realized you hadn't replied.</p><p>"First time meeting a zombie I see! Don't worry, I won't ask you to shake hands- yet. I hear you're from the outside. You must have all sorts of knowledge about the world in the past decade."</p><p>He moved into a stage whisper. "Hardly anyone here goes to town, you know. You are a unique opportunity here."</p><p>"Thanks," you said, but you didn't bother to hide your grimace.</p><p>"Oh don't worry, the opportunity goes both ways! You see, I started a business shortly before I died, and although it has been a bit inactive, you are just the right person to take it over. In fact, how does this look to you?"</p><p>He jogged over to Rover's desk, opening his briefcase to pull out a few brightly coloured pages.</p><p>"Just nod your head and don't sign anything," Cynthia advised under her breath. "Rishel will be back with Rover to kick him out soon. He's not supposed to come in the house."</p><p>"This is a million dollar home!" he announced, showing you a photo of one of the many beige, ill constructed, cookie-cutter mansions that had sprung up on the outskirts of the city. He switched pages, continuing: "And this.. is a red Mercedes Benz! This is from a few years ago, but yours could be one of the latest models! How do you like that?"</p><p>"I have a car."</p><p>"But do you have a Mercedes Benz?" he asked, showmanship creeping even harder into his voice.</p><p>You looked at Cynthia, and she shrugged, giving you a tight, stressed, half smile, showing that she at least understood the frustration.</p><p>Without waiting for your answer, he continued. "I have two other executives working under me, but you could surpass them and become a senior executive in no time! You would be in charge of hiring new members and distributing product. You only need to hire four or five new members under you, and they would be in charge of hiring and giving supplies to their sales reps, and so on down the line. You get a kickback of the profit for every person below you, and they're like your own big family tree!"</p><p>"Oh I see!" you said, grin wide and insincere. "Like a beautiful triangle, with me on top!"</p><p>"Well, I would still be on top, but you would be on the next tier, so you would be making more than anyone else, though of course with our product quality, each of them would have their own Benz soon enough too, and once they're making that much money, you will have enough money to buy an even fancier car! Or an aeroplane!"</p><p>"What is the product?" you asked, no longer smiling since he apparently wasn't aware enough for it to matter.</p><p>"Collectible coins! Now, they're not exactly 'legal tender,' but they look wonderful on display, and although my lawyer said we can't legally guarantee it, I guarantee they will appreciate in value in a mere handful of months, as we'll be rolling out new coins constantly. I have an excellent young tech whiz who collects images, and she sends them to a very cheap factory in China to have them turned into etchings to put on your coins. The coins themselves are stainless steel, very resistant to wear."</p><p>"Alright loudmouth, this is a library, let's get you out of here."</p><p>You turned to find Rover periscoping above you, looming over Husk.</p><p>"Rover! Excellent timing, I was just about to sign our guest here up! I know you've been too busy to meet with me and officially commit, but I can get you in right now alongside- uh, what was your name?"</p><p>While he looked at you, Rover snaked around him, hooking the zombie and forcing him out the door.</p><p>You heard Rishel's voice, somewhere in the hall.</p><p>"We are very disappointed to find you in the main house, Jeremy Husk."</p><p>Rover slid the rest of the way in, and the door shut, blocking out whatever came next. He glared at you.</p><p>Listening to Husk was enough punishment for one day, so you were silent as you returned to the stacks.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>zombies aren’t that horrible but fuckkkkkk the pieces of shit who start mlms* and every other capitalist predatory business practice. don’t get got by mlms and pyramid schemes, friends. Anyway, I’m officially caught up enough to post stories at the beginning of the day instead of the end of the day, so the halloween episode will actually be ready for reading on halloween.</p><p>someone in my extended family has a 2 million dollar mcmansion, yikes.</p><p>*multi level marketing schemes. if you’re a man who loves men (mlm) and want to get got by a fellow man who loves men, be my guest</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. The Chauffeur/Coachman</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><b>Today's prompt was "Anything you want!"</b> so I went with the chauffeur/coachman, which seemed like a good way to round out the staff.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cynthia elbowed you, making you jump. You had been nodding off in one of the library armchairs.</p><p>"What time is it?"</p><p>"Almost dinner time. Do you hear that?"</p><p>You listened, and could barely pick up the noises of a creaking hinge in the distance.</p><p>"That's the master of the house getting home."</p><p>"I was under the impression that she was home this whole time."</p><p>"What?" asked Cynthia. "No, she hasn't been."</p><p>"Mister Rishel said, or at least implied, that they've been speaking."</p><p>"She's far too busy to hang out around the house. Rishel has his ways. Come on, we have to get ready for dinner. I'll take you back to the guest room."</p><p>"I don't have anything to get ready."</p><p>It was true, but you mostly wanted to avoid the corpse that was probably still there, no matter what Mister Rishel had said.</p><p>"Okay, just wait here a minute so I can get out of my lab coat."</p><p>Cynthia left and returned in only a few minutes, now wearing a soft sweater with the collar of her blouse poking up above the neckline.</p><p>You followed her through the library, stopping as you rounded the last corner to the entrance.</p><p>A skeleton in a suit and a long, gilded overcoat, complete with a matching hat, stood near the doorway.</p><p>"Just who I've been looking for!"</p><p>Rover snapped his head toward the door, then toward you and Cynthia.</p><p>"This is a li-"</p><p>"We're leaving!" you interrupted, ignoring the skeleton in order to make better time toward the door.</p><p>"See that you do!"</p><p>The door clicked shut behind you and Cynthia, the skeleton's hand still on the knob.</p><p>"Sorry about that," he said in a deep, reverberating voice.</p><p>"As long as we're out of there."</p><p>"Gerald! How are you?"</p><p>"Very well, Cynthia, thank you. I just wanted a chance to meet our guest before dinner."</p><p>He turned to you, and as he stepped forward, you realized that he too was very tall, although, being a human skeleton, he was not as tall as Mister Rishel, and certainly not Rover, who had several meters still coiled each time you saw him.</p><p>"I'm Gerald Baxter, the driver for our household. I was very excited to hear we would have a guest when I left this morning, but I had to take the master for some important errands and haven't come home until now."</p><p>"I didn't mean to come here this morning," you said, eyes narrowing, and not for the first time. "I hit something with my car and ended up getting chased here."</p><p>"Oh, of course, I must have been mistaken."</p><p>There was no use in trying to read the expression on a face of still bone, but you were certain that he was humoring you. You opened your mouth, but couldn't think of the right question.</p><p>"Now, how about I walk you and Miss Cynthia here to the dining room?"</p><p>Cynthia took his elbow, and you saw no other course but to follow them there.</p><p>There was a burst of chatter as Gerald opened the dining room door, but it all died out as you stepped in.</p><p>First you saw Letitia, sitting on a royal blue cushion beside the fireplaces at the back of the room, a large empty bowl in front of her. Then letting some actual situational awareness in, you realized to either side of you were Perrine and Boniface, facing inward as though to protect the doorway, though each had a tea table set with sturdy looking china before them.</p><p>Your seat was still empty, but to one side sat Nesch, with Peb beside her, and to the other was Rishel. You took your seat, and Cynthia took one beside Benny, with an empty space beside her.</p><p>Although the master of the house wasn't there, to either side of the head of the table sat Nathan and Grady, her sons. Next to Grady was Maxine, then two empty spaces beside her. Between Benny and Nathan was Thaddeus, straight across from his pupils. Nathan looked bored out of his mind.</p><p>In the third seat from Maxine sat the doorman, next to Rhoda, and at Rhoda's other side was Rover, who had somehow beaten you to the dining room. Then there was Gerald, the driver, who had taken the seat between Rover and Mister Rishel.</p><p>Adelaide sat, glaring at you from behind Nesch and Peb and, though you took a moment to see her jewelry dangling above the table, Cornelia sat between them and her. You couldn't help but be thankful for the three person barrier.</p><p>Rishel tapped your shoulder, then gave a brief explanation of the table wear, napkins, and finger bowl, before allowing Peb to take over the conversation with excited chatter about your car.</p><p>The conversation rose and rose through the room, and Forsyth carried terrines of food to the table, as well as a bowl of some kind of porridge for Letitia, who ignored it, and two separate roasts, one to each of the gargoyles. He left for a moment, then returned, no longer in his chef coat, with the slightly longer hair atop his head combed down, and took his seat next to Maxine, who exchanged a smile with him before returning to her animated conversation with Grady, which, though you couldn't make out the words, you could see Nathan occasionally interrupting, earning glares from the kids.</p><p>There was a click almost inaudible over the fuss, and everyone fell silent, looking to the door.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I made a list of everyone who would attend dinner (that is, removed those who wouldn’t such as the pests, the fountain kraken, etc) and made a seating chart for them. to make sure it made sense. All in all there are twenty seats. The two that remain empty are Sipos’, as he’s been recently banned from entering the communal spaces, and Bertrand’s, as he is busy being the night watchman. Yes, unless it’s an even more formal occasion (more formal than ‘guest is over’?? yes, it can happen!), everyone eats together.</p><p>I thought I had more to say about Gerald but I mean, he’s a skeleton. Got a fancy coachman’s outfit. Isn’t around most of the day, and has to keep the mistress’ secrets safe. Not much more to say about him, at least in the context of a quick meeting before dinnertime.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. The Head of the Household</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A shadow moved through the barely open door, sliding onto the wall, then back to the door, centered between Perrine and Boniface. There was a slight buzzing sound as the shadow leaned forward, then, with a slight ripping noise, advanced from the door, three dimensional with sharp edges and a dark center.</p><p>Mister Rishel stood and quickly crossed the room to pull out the chair at the end opposite yours, and the shadow sat, becoming flat once again with the chair covering her back.</p><p>"I see our guest is already seated," she said, her voice clear and alto.</p><p>No one spoke, and you swallowed.</p><p>"I'm afraid I've made dinner late, so eat, everyone. I will explain everything once we are full."</p><p>The sounds of scraping cutlery filled the room as everyone began to serve themselves.</p><p>You heard a chirring noise beside you, and saw that Letitia had just began to eat, crooning to herself as she went. Looking up, you saw that across the room, the gargoyles were tearing into their meat, using a paw to hold it down while they tore strips off with their sharp teeth.</p><p>Everyone at the actual table had better table manners, but you were the last one without anything on your plate.</p><p>Rishel, who had returned to his seat, leaned forward, indicating several dishes that you could safely eat from, none of which contained mould this time.</p><p>Although some conversation had picked back up, you ate in silence. You had skipped lunch in order to make your drive, and you had only grown hungrier since arriving at the manor. As much as speaking to Nesch or Peb or someone would be a better distraction from the shadow at the head of the table sitting there, not eating, just watching you, having a full stomach felt even more essential to getting through the night.</p><p>Too soon the terrines on the table were emptied, and the clatter of forks and knives died down in favour of chatter. With Rishel's help, Forsyth cleared the table and served coffee and tea, with small, square servings of cake.</p><p>The master of the house cleared her throat, and just as when the door had opened, all fell silent.</p><p>"It's time I introduced myself to our guest," she announced, then looked directly at you. You could not see her eyes, yet you felt intense eye contact coming off the shadow which, leaning forward, was again filled out and rounded.</p><p>"My name is-" she made a noise like dry autumn leaves scattering in the wind.</p><p>Just as you could feel her eye contact, you could feel her satisfaction at leaving you uncomfortable and unable to repeat it.</p><p>"You may call me Shade. It's easy enough to remember," she said, gesturing at her form with one dark hand.</p><p>"Pleased to meet you," you said in a measured tone.</p><p>"Oh, and you're polite. How excellent. For the most part we are a polite house," she said, eyes lingering on the empty seat beside Cynthia with distaste. "It will help you fit in."</p><p>"With all due respect," though you weren't sure how much that was, "I'm planning to leave in the morning. Pebble says my car will be ready to go, and I have work in the evening."</p><p>"Of course you are!" she exclaimed, then laughed. A few others laughed along, and more didn't meet your eyes. Cynthia and Benny smiled encouragingly, and the children, who had turned toward you, studied your face.</p><p>You swallowed the last bite of your cake, then gulped at your tea, scalding the back of your tongue.</p><p>"It's been a long night," you said, too loudly. "May I excuse myself to bed?"</p><p>Although you could not make out a face on Shade, whether she was shadowed against the chair or leaning forward and somewhat tangible, in your mind she had an over-wide grin, laughing at you.</p><p>"Certainly dear. Rishel, are you finished? Please escort our guest to bed."</p><p>"Of course. Come along."</p><p>You followed him, staying close behind even though you felt pretty secure in this singular hallway, having traversed it an amount of times already.</p><p>He opened the door for you, and gestured for you to enter.</p><p>Apparently he did not miss your wary glance toward the bathroom, as he told you it had been dealt with.</p><p>"All the toiletries you need should be on the counter, and there are extra towels in the cupboard. There is a night shirt, dressing gown, slippers, and your shirt from earlier- it's clean now- on the left side of the wardrobe. If you want anything washed, there is a laundry chute in the washroom and your clothes will be dry by morning. I suggest you close the deadbolt, it helps keep pests out."</p><p>He traipsed into the room and pulled up the corner of the decorative overlarge quilt, showing you that there was no space under the bed.</p><p>"It helps keep anyon- anything from getting lost under there. Last-" he said, heading back to the door, "there is a courtesy lock on the door." </p><p>You nodded, unsure whether you wanted to rush him to leave or to stay with you as long as possible to make sure the lock held.</p><p>"It will keep most of the house out, only-" he made a noise that had to be Shade's name, though in his voice it sounded more like the crackling of a bonfire- "and I have copies of the key. Yours is on the nightstand."</p><p>"I'm not planning to leave here tonight, nor come back here again after I get dressed in the morning," you repeated, though it was beginning to feel futile.</p><p>"You don't <b>plan</b> to. Goodnight. If you have any more questions, I'm sure they will be answered by morning."</p><p>You really hoped he meant 'in the morning,' but doubted it.</p><p>Mister Rishel closed the door behind himself, and you turned the lock behind him, then surveyed the room once more.</p><p>The one thing it really had going for it was that it was well lit. It was also quite fancy and befitting of the enormous house and so on, but that interested you much less as far as making it through the night.</p><p>You approached the wardrobe holding your breath, and were relieved to find nothing out of the ordinary inside. It wasn't empty, but even after you removed the three garments and your slippers, it looked still and mundane. Closing the door, you made your way back to the en suite.</p><p>To your relief, the curtain around the bathtub was wide open, as was the matching one on a separate shower, and nothing lurked in either chamber. The tub smelled faintly like Dr. Quoll's office, though for all the sterility that brought to mind, you did not plan to set foot in it. The only other place for anything to hide, other than the laundry hatch, which you noted was already deadbolted shut, was the cabinet, and when you opened it, just to be sure, you found it bursting with linens.</p><p>Approaching the sink, also happy to find there was only one bathroom mirror, and knowing that so far, it hadn't reflected anything terrible, you washed your hands, then picked up the toothbrush. The paste next to it was your usual brand, but the brush felt fancy. You had never made a point of buying fancy nor particularly bad toothbrushes before, but something about it gave you that impression.</p><p>Also on the counter were a couple different brushes and combs, a closed glass container of cotton pads and swabs, a heavy bottomed cup, and a folded face cloth.</p><p>Eager to wash away at least some of the day's grime, you shook it free, then found yourself gaping, toothbrush dropped into the sink.</p><p>It was monogrammed with your initials.</p><p>You spat out the toothpaste and dug through the cupboard. Everything was monogrammed, even the house coat you had tossed on the bed minutes ago.</p><p>At first you sank to the ground, massaging your temples and around your eyes, groaning, but it didn't take long before you got back up, properly rinsed your mouth, and got a towel. </p><p>Fuck it all, whatever was going on, you were taking a shower and going to bed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The illustrious head of the household appears. I can’t believe how fast Halloween is sneaking up on me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. What the head of the household really answers to</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With a sharp breath, you sat up in bed.</p><p>You had been asleep, a better, deeper sleep than any of the previous nights. It was hard to tell whether it was something about the house, or just that your day had been exhausting, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that you were certain you had just heard the door.</p><p>The only trace of light in the room was a line of yellow underneath the door. It appeared to be closed, but, beyond trusting anything that happened in the house, you groped around the nightstand, trying to find the lamp switch and failing.</p><p>Hopping out of bed, you held your arms out until you found the heavy velvet drapes and yanked them open. </p><p>There were no more storm clouds in the sky, instead, the bright full moon was high in the sky, and large; it felt unnaturally close.</p><p>With less urgency, you opened the curtains the rest of the way, then looked around the room. The door was closed, but you squinted at the shadow on the wall next to it.</p><p>You moved, and it moved the other way, then beckoned for you with a crooked finger.</p><p>"Please give me some privacy, Shade," you said, trying to push as much confidence as you could into your weak, tired voice.</p><p>She shook her head, then beckoned again, still silent, and cracked your door open.</p><p>"I'm going to regret this."</p><p>Still, she didn't answer.</p><p>Sighing deeply, you pulled on the dressing gown and slippers that Rishel had left for you, and followed her out the door.</p><p>She didn't manifest in three dimensions as she had at dinner, but instead crept along the wall, occasionally turning back, as though to make sure you were still following, and more than once pressed a shadowy finger to her lips.</p><p>Because Shade wouldn't walk down the actual hall, and you weren't sure if she could trigger the traps even if she did, you tried to remember Cornelia's advice, sticking close to the wall to avoid setting anything off. Maybe Shade could set them off, and was the reason the traps had ledges one could sneak by on, or maybe it was just so the victims had a better chance to dangle in terror before the gnashing teeth beneath the floor got them. </p><p>With her spidery shadow fingers, Shade beckoned again, then waved towards a pair of tall, arching doors, and waited.</p><p>The whole adventure in the mansion had been strange, uncomfortable, and tense, and of course you had been mortally terrified more than once in the day, but those times had come suddenly, and ended just as quick. Staring at the enormous doorway, this was the first time you had the time for real dread to set in, even before anything happened. Whatever was in this room was going to be the end of you.</p><p>You tried to tell yourself otherwise, that you had gone through plenty of scary doors and not yet met your doom, that you were going to laugh at yourself once you stepped through and found one more strange misfit, or maybe even the household members out of costume, not actually monsters at all, but none of it worked.</p><p>Shade was becoming impatient, her waves toward the door growing quicker, almost frantic, as you breathed deep, trying to control your own panic.</p><p>A loud buzz sounded, then Shade was walking toward you, no longer a shadow but a translucent black form. She took your shoulders- she was solid- and pushed you toward the entrance. When you dug in your heels, she just shoved harder, forcing your locked knees to shake and buckle, until you finally took over, walking of your own accord. The doorway was inset and by this point, with Shade fully formed and too strong, there was no direction to run but forward.</p><p>You pulled open the doors and found yourself in a ball room. The ceiling was high, there was a low platform straight ahead, and the floor was wide, smooth, and clean.</p><p>A collection of dark forms sat rigid near the stage. You hoped they were the group you had already met, at least most of whom seemed to wish you well, but you doubted it.</p><p>There was an echoing click, and you turned to see shade holding a large key, which she held up, as though teasing you, then clasped. When she released her fist, the key was gone.</p><p>She pointed to the stage and, when you turned to face it, pushed your back, once, firmly in the center, releasing almost immediately, playfully.</p><p>The windows were high above you, and you saw no other doorways. You resumed deep breathing through your nose, trying to create an aura of confidence and resignation, rather than the shakiness your hands were displaying as you crossed the room.</p><p>When you took the stage, you turned back towards your audience.</p><p>The lighting was dramatic, and even at the closer range, you couldn't make out any faces. There was, however, a large form that looked too large and furry to be anyone but Mister Rishel, and another that's face had a subtle glow, like Cynthia's. No other features were distinguishable, and even those two you couldn't be sure of. What you could make out were the slightly raised hands of several figures, as though they were holding up opera glasses.</p><p>Your observation ended when the hissing began.</p><p>The sound was high above you, but you couldn't make out what enormous beast had sounded off. You looked to Shade, and she gestured at the sides of her face, as though telling you to smile.</p><p>Some shorter hisses and the sounded of something feathery shambling back and forth echoed down. A shadow soared past one of the windows, and you knew it was on the inside.</p><p>No one had resolve strong enough for that. You broke into a run for the side of the room; you knew you couldn't get out the door but you could maybe, possibly, find cover.</p><p>Laughter filled the room, not just from Shade but from a crowd that sounded many times larger than that which sat by the stage. You heard clattering footsteps, and as you dove under a piano, something grabbed your angle, and you shouted, kicking with your other leg as you were dragged out.</p><p>Your new keeper lifted you to the feet by the excess fabric of your borrowed nightclothes, then marched you back to the stage, hands tight around your shoulders as you twisted, trying to see your captor, to know if someone you'd befriended had already betrayed you.</p><p>There was no more laughter, only the sound of wind whistling and the occasional beating of wings.</p><p>It took until you were centered on the stage again before you stopped trying to see who was behind you and instead looked forward.</p><p>Before you could take in the sight, you were released and the same footsteps leapt backward.</p><p>A bird, its body larger than either of the gargoyles and its wingspan too wide to comprehend, dove toward you, it's bald head lurching back in the last second as it threw its talons forward, taking you by the shoulders and knocking you on your back.</p><p>You fought, you scrabbled at its scaled toes with your nails and kicked with your feet and writhed beneath the thing, but it was too heavy to budge. It didn't stop you  from screwing your eyes up and fighting harder, even as your shoulders were driven further into the floor below. It was only when you struggled to lift your arms that you finally began to give up and met the eyes of the beast.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>big ol bird</p><p>I went back on forth on whether parts of this were too tame or too not, but I think I like it. going into super gory detail on the character's injuries, for example, doesn't really fit this halloween romp in my eyes. At least I know where I’ll be starting the final chapter tomorrow evening.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. what the “main character” (or even you!) becomes when their escape fails and they join the house.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Once you looked into the vulture-beast's eyes, you could not look away. In the darkened room, its eyes glowed with such bright, white light that your eyes stung, but you couldn't blink, nor turn your gaze away. Pain rose in your temples, then radiated back to your eats and the base of your neck, as though something had fastened around your head and squeezed. Your head felt like it was swelling and splitting, and all you could see anymore were the glowing dots in your vision and the purplish auras rippling out from the center each time your eyes twitched out of position.</p><p>Most of your audience was silent, but Shade's cackle echoed up and down the walls, surrounding you and making the ache in your ears even worse, all while the bird dug its talons into your shoulders to hold you still.</p><p>The pressure only increased, until, at the same time, you shouted and heard a sickening crack. Despite your acute awareness of the pain in your head, you could not tell what was happening to it. Your inability to reach up and feel for what had happened did not help.</p><p>Desperate for answers, you kept the raptor's gaze, no longer entirely due to force. Something about the brilliant glow relaxed you, and as the tension in your neck melted, the pain you felt ebbed away, not entirely, but enough to think and take deep, slow breaths to mitigate it even further.</p><p>Just as the headache became manageable, the bird hissed again, directly at your face, breaking the eye contact and letting you fall back toward the floor. You hadn't even realized you'd been leaning forward, but the smack you braced for as you fell never came; instead your head bounced slightly and, other than the uncomfortable angle of your neck, the remaining pain disappeared as though it had never been there at all.</p><p>The bird stepped back and off of you, then stood to the side. Out of the corner of your eye you saw it surveying the small crowd.</p><p>Someone walked up behind you; from the sound of their shoes it was the same person who had caught you and placed you on stage. They knelt and lifted you into a sitting position, but supporting yourself on your hands you turned to look them in the face.</p><p>It was Mister Rishel, and it was hard to feel surprised. Despite the darkness in the room, his face was lit by a soft yellow glow.</p><p>Whether because you had shown your willingness to retake your body or in punishment for your daring to look at him whilst he manipulated you, he dragged you up to your feet immediately, keeping a firm grip on your elbow, and similarly, you didn't know if that was to prevent escape or to help you balance.</p><p>"Excellent, just excellent," said Shade, stepping on stage and standing beside you, boxing you in between herself, Rishel, and the vulture, who crooked its long neck to watch you with one enormous, intelligent eye. You could see through her nostril to the windows above her.</p><p>The lights came up, and you saw that it was indeed the rest of the household before you, even Sipos and Jeremy Husk, the latter of which was gagged. Even Letitia, the gargantuan hen was there, though she was not looking at you, but alternating between preening and looking at the other beast. Even AF 4.0 sat in Cynthia's lap. Cynthia's face was strained, and Cornelia , by the look of her dress, was at the edge of her seat, but the children were grinning, as were Benny and Pebble. Sipos and Adelaide both scowled at you.</p><p>"And now," said Shade, interrupting your thoughts as though she didn't want to let you exposit your context clues, "the reveal!"</p><p>Rishel guided you to turn slightly, and Shade wheeled up a covered mirror.</p><p>"Voila!" she cried, ripping the cloth away to reveal your reflection.</p><p>The household cheered, but you ran to the mirror, and this time, no one tried to stop you, instead only watching as you prodded at your own face, prying open your own mouth to get a better look at the yellow light within, that which you had projected onto Rishel.</p><p>Your hands shook as you turned, looking around the room for a second mirror or some other proof that you were not really looking at yourself. Rishel obliged, holding up a hand mirror, and your pumpkin face stared back at you from it as well. </p><p>Looking down, you found your hands still humanoid, but mottled with orange and green. You also took in your clothes to find that you were still wearing the borrowed pajamas on stage, causing embarrassment to mingle with your existential crisis. You looked over the crowd again.</p><p>"Don't be shy," Shade said, and when you turned, she was only a flat shadow on the ground. "That took a lot out of me, so hold your head up."</p><p>She then turned to her audience.</p><p>"Sasha has created a monster, with no need for a virus, or a bite, or even death. All she needed was a human."</p><p>The vulture stretched up and spread her wings wide, pushing Rishel and even Shade away, despite her disembodiment. </p><p>Even your friends cheered this time.</p><p>"I'm leaving," you said, and Shade laughed.</p><p>"Where will you go?"</p><p>You didn't answer because you couldn't answer, but you continued away from the stage.</p><p>"You'll need this," she called and tossed you the key to the arched doorway.</p>
<hr/><p>Mister Rishel found you slumped on the doorstep.</p><p>Since you had left the ballroom, you had paced just outside the door, regularly getting raspily accosted through the gate by Cujo. Your car sat before you, ready to go if you so chose, but for all the hours you had spent pacing, you couldn't bring yourself to drive back to town, not if it meant seeing yourself as a pumpkinhead in the mirror, nor somehow explaining it to your family, if they even let you in after seeing you had a jack o' lantern for a face.</p><p>"There's nowhere to go, is there?" you asked. "I can't go home like this."</p><p>He paused for a moment.</p><p>"We can go inside."</p><p>"I want to say goodbye to my friends. My before-yesterday-evening-friends."</p><p>A smile flickered on the goat man's face.</p><p>"Halloween will be here before you know it."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The end.</p><p>I’m not 100% on my ending, but if I want to write good maybe instead of complaining I should be writing things like this before 2:30AM on Halloween. It got where it needed to go though, and that’s what really matters.</p><p>I went back and forth on more animorphs-like body horror, and on turning into something much worse, but I didn’t really want to change the whole feel of the thing (re body horror) or make the ending either too sad or too bright. I want the character to have a future other than either loving life as a mansion monster or wasting away trapped in some insignificant object. Something that allows for progress if I ever picked this up again, or even just if their life goes on.</p><p>And one final thank you to bogleech (links below) for making this challenge and in generally being Halloween inspiring year round.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>These are also posted to my tumblr, starting <a href="https://readingalcove.tumblr.com/post/631212134393675776/31-day-horror-house-day-1">here.</a></p><p>This challenge, which was intended for visual art, can be found <a href="https://bogleech.tumblr.com/post/631088457987604480/okay-my-idea-for-a-halloween-drawing-challenge-31">here.</a> It was made by <a href="https://bogleech.com/">Bogleech.</a></p><p>I love reviews, and I will still love them if they're posted long past halloween or even 2020.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>